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home + garden guide inside

Families in Business Meet seven Maine businesses that are keeping it close to home

A Piece of Maine:

Lincoln

Metro Health Living with Autism

Eye on Industry Darn Good Yarn

Home Inside:

Dinner at the Lucerne Inn Judi Perkins New Potatoes

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Nifty ideas & inspiration from two local DIY-ers

April 2014

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April 2014

contents

features Community Minded / 13 Judi Perkins has been a hard-working Bangor citizen for decades.

Darn good yarn / 14 Nicole Snow weaves social consciousness into her microbusiness. it takes a village / 18 In celebration of Autism Awareness Month, we take a look at how locals are living with this disability. families in business / 24 Seven Maine families who are passing the business down from generation to generation.

A Piece of Maine: Lincoln / 42 With 13 beautiful lakes, there’s a lot to like about Lincoln.

The More the merrier / 56 Susan Faloon and her daughter Hailey Crabtree serve up seriously sumpuous bites.

34

The Lucerne Inn / 60 Chef Jamie Cross puts his green thumb to good use.

56 2 / Bangor Metro April 2014

62

Photos: (top & bottom left) melanie Brooks; (bottom right) brenda ferguson

Appreciate the renovate / 34 Two local DIY-ers share their unique home-improvement projects.

Photos: (top) courtesy of S.L. Wadsworth & sons ship chandlery; (right) melanie brooks

24

in every issue

columns

TaLk of the Towns / 8 Potatoes and movies and bears, oh my!

Metro Wellness / 22 Traveling can be stressful, but it’s always worth it in the end.

Biz Buzz & sightings / 10 People and places on the move.

What’s Happening / 50 Area events all April long.

Metro sports / 49 John Bapst’s dynamo diver.

Perspectives / 62 The colorful art of Brenda Ferguson. savvy seniors / 65 Protect yourself from identity theft.

42

woods & waters / 64 For the love of gardening. last word / 68 A trip to the big city.

Special Section 2014 Home & Garden Guide / 73 Tips on gardening, spring cleaning, and using native Maine stone in your landscaping projects.

Unsung hero / 70 Scoodic Arts for All’s Mary Laury.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 3

editor’s note

M

y great-grandmother Frances Pelletier and I had a special bond: She and I loved to read and write. When she died, my mother gave me one of her books as a memento. It was a collection of short stories about dolls. I used to read it when I would visit her in her little house in Milford and later when she lived with my great-aunt Nancy in Old Town.

My mother received a letter in the mail recently from her cousin Carol. It contained an essay my great-grandmother wrote that appeared on the front page of The Penobscot Times on June 15, 1918. Frances, who was in eighth grade at the time, won an award for this essay, which appears to be about how to be a good American citizen. To me, it reads like an instruction manual on how to take care of your home. Here’s an excerpt:

I shudder to think what great-grandma would think of my home, which, with an active 18-month-old, is usually in a state of chaos. Clearly I would not be a good citizen in her eyes. Maybe she’d cut me a break, though. People today have so much more than they did in 1918. It’s overwhelming how many toys my son has, how many outfits, blankets, sippy cups, pairs of adorable shoes.

Having pride in your home is important, and keeping the “heaps of rubbish” out of your yard will undoubtedly keep your neighbors happy. As spring is upon us, it’s time to remove the rubbish, repair the damage, and bring the fresh air back into our homes. This month’s issue has many great ideas on how to improve your home, inside and out, and instill that you are a good citizen in the eyes of Frances Pelletier.

Melanie Brooks, editor

4 / Bangor Metro April 2014

The Bangor Metro Region

Photo: Kate Crabtree

Patriotism should not be reserved for great occasions. It should be an important factor in our daily life. There is an old proverb that states, “Charity should begin at home.” It is very true, but why not patriotism also? The best way to begin at home is to begin in our own dooryard. If there are heaps of rubbish in our yard, we should remove them at once. They not only disfigure the yard but are also very unsanitary. If the fence is falling to decay, repair it, or if you cannot afford it, remove it altogether. It certainly looks better with no fence at all than with one falling to decay. Many people have lawnmowers in their homes that have seldom, if ever, been used. It greatly improves the appearance of the home if the lawn is mowed often. The home should have plenty of fresh air and sunlight in it. Keep the interior as well as the exterior clean and neat. A good motto for every home is, “A place for everything and everything it is place.”

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TAKE A SEAT BANGOR. A NIGHT WITH DOMINIC GILL Saturday, May 3rd, 2014 Gracie Theatre | $35 The Bangor YMCA is bringing filmmaker, photographer, and adventurer Dominic Gill to Bangor to share his stories of mountaineering and cycle touring around the world. In his 2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival award winning documentary, “Take A Seat”, Dominic captured his 20,000 mile tandem bicycle journey from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuala, Chile and won fans from across the world for his unique insights and charming sense of humor.

Doors open at 6:00pm for a cocktail and social hour with Dominic himself.

The show begins at 7:00pm and is followed by a dessert bar, drinks, and more opportunities to meet and talk with Dominic.

“A voyage to the heart of what it means to be human…cycle with A subscription to Bangor Metro magazine Dominic, and you’ll be a better is the perfect gift for anyone on your list! person for the ride.”

— Archbishop Emeritus, Edmond Tutu Complete the gift subscription card in this issue or call 207-941-1300 x121

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Tickets available at the Bangor YMCA, 17 Second St, or online at www.BangorY.org For more info, call 207-941-2808 or email jrobichaud@bangorY.org | All proceeds benefit the Bangor YMCA adventure and youth programs.

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Bangor Metro Magazine. April 2014, Vol. 10, No. 3.

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Bear Study

8 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Unity: Undergraduates at Unity College have the opportunity to take part in what might be the only undergraduate bear study in the U.S. This multi-year study is now in its second year, offering students hands-on research experience that provides valuable data on Maine black bear in the Unity, Maine area. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has a longstanding bear study, but it doesn’t focus on the Unity area. “The MDIFW study of black bears dates back to 1975,” says Unity associate professor George Matula. “Our study is providing opportunities for students to get involved in real-life mammal research and management.”

In its first year, 68 Unity College students from a variety of majors participated in the study. These students were split into teams with faculty and staff leaders. In 2013, team members successfully captured three female bears that were fitted with radio collars. Two were killed when hit by cars, but one is still alive and well. Her den was recently located in a hollowed out tree. Next month, team members will trap and fit more bears with radio collars.

Students are involved in every aspect of the study, including designing the databases the study uses, procuring a bear culvert trap, deploying hair snares, conducting DNA analyses on bear hairs and blood, and performing blood analyses. One of the major findings of the study indicates that bears in the Unity area are growing faster than bears in other parts of the state.

Matula’s goal for 2014 is to affix a video collar to a bear, preferably a female. “The bear that receives a video collar has to be relatively large,” he says. “Although we would prefer to collar a female because of the large amount of family information they provide, if necessary, we will place the collar on a male bear.”

photos: Lynn Bystrom/thinkstock.com

talk of the towns

photos: (top) courtesy of beneath the harvest sky; (right) courtesy of sutherland weston Marketing communications

Beneath the Harvest Sky Statewide: Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the duo behind the documentary The Way We Get By, released another film set in Maine. Maine moviegoers have the opportunity to see the film before it’s released nationwide.

“As a teenager growing up in a small town in Maine, and an avid filmgoer, I was always watching and waiting for the films opening in New York City to finally make their way to my nearest theater,” Gaudet says. “As a Mainebased filmmaker, with a movie being released nationwide, it was very important to me that the people of Maine would have the same opportunities to see Beneath the Harvest Sky as anyone else in the country. The fact that they now have the chance to see it in theaters first—before anyone else—is even better!”

On April 25, theaters in Bangor, Bar Harbor, Belfast, Bucksport, Caribou, Houlton, Portland, and Waterville will showcase the full-length feature film, which was shot at various locations throughout Aroostook County from July through September of 2012. The film tells the story of two small-town friends, who get caught up in an illegal drug trade between Maine and Canada.

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the Gotham Independent “Live The Dream” award. Gaudet and Pullapilly were also selected by Variety magazine for their 2013 “Top 10 Directors to Watch” list.

“As Maine-based filmmakers, we are so fortunate to have the support of the community to champion us as artists,” Pullapilly says. “We can’t wait for people in Maine to see the film. We hope we made them proud.”

The film will be released nationwide on May 2, 2014.

One Potato, Two Potato Orono and Presque Isle: Two new potato varieties will make their debut this year. Developed by the Maine Potato Board and the University of Maine, the Easton and Sebec are the first two varieties to be released by UMaine in 10 years.

The Easton is a new french fry processing potato variety, and the Sebec was created for potato chip production. Field studies showed that the Easton has a higher yield than the standard french fry processing variety—the Russet Burbank— and that it produces a lighter colored fry. The Sebec was found to be high yielding and produces a good quality potato chip right from the field.

“Potatoes are bred for a multitude of characteristics. Everything, from disease resistance to improved fry color,” says Tim Hobbs, director of development and grower relations for the Maine Potato Board. “To get the right combination of characteristics in one variety takes a large investment in time and resources. Eventually, this investment pays off.”

Both varieties have been in the works for more than a decade. “There are currently several other varieties we are evaluating for release over the next few years,” says Kris Burton from the Department of Industrial Cooperation at UMaine.

“Working closely with the [Maine Potato] Board allows us to commercialize the best varieties to support the Maine potato industry and further research in the field.” www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 9

biz buzz On the Move ANGELA FRANCK joined

the Fort Kent and Eagle Lake branches of Katahdin Trust Company as assistant vice president, branch manager, and retail services officer. Franck brings more than 20 years of banking experience to her new role. She previously worked as the branch manager for The Bank of Maine in Fort Kent. www.katahdintrust.com CYNTHIA A. SELF, MD, an ophthalmologist with Eastern Maine Eye Associates in Bangor, has been elected president of the medical staff at St. Joseph Hospital. She is the first female to hold this position. She has been on staff at St. Joseph Hospital for eight years, where she previously served as the vice president and chair of the credentials committee. www.sjhhealing.com PETER MILLARD, MD, PhD, joined the staff of Penobscot Community Health Care’s Seaport Community Health Center in Belfast. Prior to joining PCHC, Millard served as attending physician at Eastern Maine Medical Center’s Department of Family Medicine. He currently serves as adjunct professor at the University of New England in the graduate program for Public Health. www.pchc.com MICHAEL HENDRIX

recently assumed the role of chief financial officer at St. Joseph Healthcare in Bangor. He served as the assistant vice president of finance for the organization since July 2012 and most recently served as the interim chief financial officer. Prior to joining St. Joseph Healthcare, Hendrix served as the chief financial officer at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital and controller at both Mayo Regional Hospital and Penobscot Valley Hospital. www.stjhhealth.com

10 / Bangor Metro April 2014

JODIE BURCKHARD and SUZANNE BRUNNER

joined the Bangor YMCA as the director of The Bangor YMCA Wilderness Center of Camp Jordan and YMCA grant development manager, respectively.

Burckhard has been with the YMCA since 2010, first as the director of childcare and then as the director of youth development. Brunner has been serving as the YMCA’s director of caring connections, a nonprofit cooperative program of the Bangor YMCA and Eastern Maine Medical Center, since 2010. www.bangory.org DONALD PORTER is the

new office manager for the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is the former president and CEO of the Retail Merchants Association in Tidewater, Virginia, and a PBRCC volunteer. www.mainedreamvacation.com Unity College president STEPHEN MULKEY has been appointed to the board of directors for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Mulkey led Unity College to become the first institution of higher education in the U.S. to adopt sustainability science as its framework for teaching and learning.

AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. www.unity.edu MARY-ELLEN MACDONALD, FNP-C,

joined the medical staff at Penobscot Community Health Care to provide walk-in care services at PCHC’s centers in Bangor, Brewer, and Old Town. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, the Maine Nurse Practitioner Association, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. www.pchc.com DANIEL BOOKHAM has been elected

chair of the LifeFlight Foundation Board of Trustees. Bookham is a business insurance specialist and director of

business development at Allen Insurance and Financial. He joined the LifeFlight Foundation board in 2012. www.lifeflightmaine.org ALBERTA HUNTER and BENJAMIN BRIGHAM have been appointed to the

Eastport Arts Center board of directors.

Both are from Eastport. www.eastportartscenter.com MICHAEL ARCHER has been named vice president, corporate controller at Camden National Bank. Based at the corporate headquarters in Camden, he will oversee the accounting and finance department for the bank. Archer previously worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Boston as an assurance manager. He is a licensed certified public accountant in Maine and Massachusetts and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. wwww.camdennational.com

American Loggers Insurance (ALI) has welcomed MICHAEL BEARDSLEY to their team as director of strategic partnerships. Prior to joining ALI, Beardsley held various leadership positions with Chubb & Son, MBNA, Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, and TIAA-CREF. Most recently, Beardsley served as the executive director for the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine. www.americanloggersinsurance.com

Awards ST. JOSEPH FAMILY MEDICINE at Evergreen Woods and Broadway received prestigious recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The practices were awarded the highest level of Patient-Centered Medical Home distinction, Level 3, which recognizes practices that are patient-focused and work as a team to coordinate care and track progress. www.sjhhealth.com NORM DINERMAN, MD at Eastern Maine Medical Center, was recently honored with the Ronald D. Stewart Award from the National Association of EMS Physicians for his tireless work to improve pre-hospital care. The award is

given annually to a person who has made a lasting, major contribution to the EMS community in the U.S. and Canada. Dinerman was responsible for bringing LifeFlight of Maine to our state. www.emmc.org The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce awarded several businesses, community members, and organizations at their recent annual gala, including DREAM LOCAL DIGITAL , winner of the Small Business of the Year Award; CAMDEN HARBOUR INN, winner of the Beacon Award; ROCKPORT PROPERTIES, winner of the Economic Enhancement award; JEAN FREEDMAN-WHITE , named Community Volunteer of the Year; SWING AND SWAY DANCING, winner of the Special Recognition Award; THE STRAND THEATRE , winner of the Innovation in Business Award; and DAVE JACKSON, named as the Community Person of the Year. www.mainedreamvacation.com KATAHDIN TRUST COMPANY has been honored by the American Bankers Association with its Community Commitment Award. The recognition was made based on Katahdin Trust’s commitment to the communities it serves and has been awarded to the bank for the past several years. In 2013, the bank’s 198 employees invested more than 10,000 hours of volunteer service to a variety of civic, charitable, church, educational, and economic development organizations. www.katahdintrust.com

for Public Service; the CITY OF BANGOR won the Community Service Award; ACADIA HOSPITAL was named Non-Profit of the Year; STEVE POUND was honored with the Arthur A. Comstock Professional Service Award; and CERAHELIX was given the Bion and Dorain Foster Enterpreneurship Award. www.bangorregion.com

Grants Kepware Technologies, a software development company, donated $30,000 to the UNIVERISTY OF MAINE’S ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY (EET) PROGRAM . The

funds will be used to outfit the program’s Programmable Logic Controller Lab with licenses for professional-grade software. www.umaine.edu The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development issued three Distance Learning and

Telemedicine Grants to local organizations. MAINE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT #54 was

granted $499,278 to purchase equipment for a laptop-based distance learning system. The project will involve 22 schools and serve nearly 6,500 students. MAINE ADMINISTRATIVE SCHOOL DISTRICT #37 was awarded $490,625 to acquire equipment and software for a distance learning connection between MSAD #37 and the Machias Bay Area School System.

COMMUNITY HEALTH AND COUNSELING SERVICES received

$103,235 to purchase in-home patient monitors, medication dispensers, and screening monitors for patients in Piscataquis and Washington counties who suffer from congestive heart failure, medication compliance issues, and patients with swallowing disorders. www.msad54.org www.msad37.org www.chcs-me.org

Feel tied in

knots?

JOELLA ROSSIGNOL of Allen Insurance

and Financial earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence, an honor recognizing superior underwriting skills. This is the fourth time Rossignol earned this award. www.alleninsuranceandfinancial.com The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce recently awarded several area businesses, organizations, and people at their annual awards dinner.

MILES THEEMAN was honored with the Norbert X. Dowd Award; HOLLYWOOD CASINO was named the Business of the Year; SEN. ED YOUNGBLOOD was awarded the Catherine Lebowitz Award

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www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 11

sight ings

1

1

6

1: Clockwise from top left: David Veinote, Patsy and Jim Husson, David and Christina Hessert, and Lynne Veinote enjoy the Eastern Maine Medical Center Auxiliary Beach Ball at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

2: Randy Webber at the Eastern Maine Medical Center Auxiliary Beach Ball in Bangor.

3: Kristin and John Canders attend the Greater Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce Annual

12 / Bangor Metro April 2014

4

5

7

Awards Dinner at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

4: Seamus MacDonald and Noah Denham enjoy a treat at Sweet Frog in support of Children’s Miracle Network.

5: Dave Jackson receiving the Community Member of the Year Award from the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

6: Kelly Woods, Shannon Kinney, and Jody Landrith attend the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Gala in Rockport.

7: Amy Files, Sarah Bartz, and Sarah Szwajkos at the Fifth Year Anniversary PechaKucha held at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art and the Rockport Opera House.

Photos: #1 & #2 joel holcomb; #3 jeff kirlin; #5 & #6 Kevin Kratka; #7 mark dawson

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movers & shakers

J

Community Minded

Photo: melanie brooks

Judi Perkins, the brains and the brawn behind the Maine Harvest Festival, has been an active, hardworking community member in Bangor for decades. By Cory Robertson

udi Perkins, the organizer of the annual Maine Harvest Festival, has been at the helm of many Bangor-area initiatives over the past three decades. But she doesn’t claim sole credit for her success. “It’s just a can-do attitude, and it comes, I think, from working with some of Bangor’s best-known and most successful entrepreneurs,” she says.

Thirty-five years of experience in marketing, advertising, public relations, and sales forms the meat and potatoes of Perkins’ resume. Throughout her career she held many prominent positions in the community. She recently retired from the marketing department of WBRC Architects, where she worked for eight years. She was the director of marketing, advertising, public relations, and franchise sales for a log-home manufacturer before becoming the first director of Bangor 2000, now the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau, in 1988. She also served as executive director of Keep Bangor Beautiful, an organization promoting recycling and beautification.

For over 20 years, she was involved with the Bangor Garden Show (now the BDN Maine Garden Show), which originated as a fundraiser for Keep Bangor Beautiful.

The idea for the Bangor Garden show took root at a Bangor 2000 committee meeting and grew into an event featuring small businesses and nurserymen from across the state. “Those of us involved every year had a passion for education and community,” Perkins says.

Her interests in gardening and farming began at a young age. She grew up on a dairy farm on Bangor’s outer Ohio Street that her grandparents built in the 1920s. Her family supplied capons and produce to local grocery stores, and her father had a milk route. “My early experience was similar to what you see folks doing in the state of Maine now with farmers markets,” she says. She moved away from Bangor early in her marriage, but she returned to her hometown 20 years ago and lives on the same farm where she grew up.

It was during a brainstorming session with Mike Dyer of the Bangor Auditorium and Civic Center—now of the

Cross Insurance Center—when the idea for the Maine Harvest Festival was born.

“It just seemed a given when we talked about what people were interested in,” Perkins says. She spent a year planning the first festival, which was held in 2012.

The Maine Harvest Festival is inspired by the neighborhood grocers and farmers of Perkins’ childhood and the community farmers markets of today. Though its emphasis is on food and beverages, the festival also features local artisans and musicians. “We bring the flavor of Maine into the facility,” Perkins says.

With more than 130 small businesses involved, the Maine Harvest Festival, now in its third year, has plenty to offer.

Attendees can watch cooking demonstrations, sample food, or browse fiber arts and crafts. In 2013, the University of Maine Page Farm and Home Museum brought an educational component to the festival, displaying museum artifacts and teaching attendees about farming and fiber-making practices from eras past.

The festival, held in Bangor’s Cross Insurance Center, continues to grow.

“This past year we actually outgrew the convention side of the Cross Center, pouring out the doors and onto the lawn,” Perkins explains. A tent was supplied, allowing vendors to cook outside on the lawn. The 2014 event will be located in the larger arena area of the Cross Insurance Center.

Perkins works every day to prepare for the festival, as fall nears. But she doesn’t do it alone. Volunteers play a large role, as does the Cross Insurance Center staff.

But Perkins has a special group of colleagues to thank, which she refers to simply as “businesswomen here in Bangor.” “Some help with cooking demonstrations, some help with graphic design and ads, and some help during the festival being extra hands,” Perkins says. “I’m extremely grateful for that.”

As for the future, Perkins looks forward to continuing her work with the Maine Harvest Festival, but she won’t overlook new possibilities. “If something else comes along that is interesting to me, I’d always want to listen and contribute if I could on any level,” she says.

Though retired, she has no plans to slow down. “I’m not ready to sit down and crochet just yet,” she says.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 13

Darn Good Yarn Nicole Snow spun social consciousness into a successful business. By Melanie Brooks

W

hen Nicole Snow got out of the Air Force in 2005, she had a hard time adjusting to a civilian job. “I worked for a paper company that was just like the television show ‘The Office,’ except it wasn’t funny,” she says. Her husband’s career obligated them to move frequently, which didn’t make finding a job she loved any easier.

Snow decided to put her business degree from Clarkson University to good use by creating an online gift store called Around the Om. She sold things she loved, sourced from all over the world.

When she wasn’t learning how to run her business, she was learning how to knit—a hobby she picked up along the way.

She started purchasing recycled silk yarn from India and Nepal online. She loved the idea behind recycled yarn and took a close look at the businesses bringing it to market. Snow realized that she could do a better job, and Darn Good Yarn was born.

Social consciousness became the backbone of Snow’s business, which has grown 2,500% since its inception in 2008.

14 / Bangor Metro April 2014

She hired women in Nepal and India to work for her company and offered them a fair wage. “These women are poverty stricken and live with caste discrimination,” Snow says. “They’re used to earning $2 a day.” Three hundred families have benefited from Darn Good Yarn.

Thanks to her business, they no longer have to worry about being able to afford to put food on the table or pay for health care. Snow’s policy of no child labor also means the children of these families can stay in school and get an education.

Darn Good Yarn is also keeping fiber remnants out of the waste stream. The yarn she sources is made out of loom weaving leftovers and improperly processed fabric. The colors are vibrant and come in a variety of textures, such as silk yarn, ribbon, pulled silk, banana fiber yarn, hemp, and nettle. Not only are they beautiful, they’re affordable. Her website also sells handmade goat milk soap and no-rinse detergent, as well as kits, home accents, clothing, jewelry, and free downloadable patterns.

Darn Good Yarn is such a great concept that the business recently won FedEx’s

first ever nationwide Small Business Grant Competition. The $25,000 grant is helping Snow expand her company and market it as a lifestyle brand called Darn Good World.

“I see this company as being the ‘crunchy’ Martha Stewart,” Snow says. She’s on the right track.

Snow runs Darn Good Yarn out of her Sebec home, which sits on the picturesque Sebec Lake. It’s remote, for sure, and she depends on FedEx delivery to help run her business. A couple of times, Snow says, the drivers have gotten stuck in her driveway because of the snow. But if it weren’t for these dedicated drivers, Snow wouldn’t be able to import or export her goods.

“Right now I have 38,000 balls of yarn in my house,” she says. Her main storage space is her basement, which she turns over six times a year. Sixty percent of her business is wholesale, and she has never lost a wholesale customer. Her retail customers love her, too, as 60% of her retail business is made up of repeat customers who live all over the globe. A group of her most faithful customers live in The Netherlands. Darn Good Yarn made such an impact there, that Snow was invited to speak at the Dutch Embassy in the summer of 2013 on how free trade affects her small business. She was also mentioned

by Gov. Paul LePage during his most recent State of the State address as one of Maine’s successful micro-entrepreneurs.

To run a business like Darn Good Yarn in Maine means you need to be resourceful. Through connections made on the Internet, Snow has been able to affordably expand her reach. “I made a connection on Instagram with a woman in Australia named Karleigh,” Snow says. Karleigh loved Darn Good Yarn and formed a partnership with Snow to help her reach other Aussies on a more regular basis. Every two to three weeks, Snow ships yarn orders in bulk to Karleigh, who then ships the individual orders through the Australian postal service. Snow even created an Australian Facebook page to promote the partnership. She is looking to expand the same service into Canada in the near future.

Snow is quick to shrug off her success, saying, “It’s the Internet; anyone could do it.” But it’s her attention to detail and her passion for helping the less fortunate that makes Darn Good Yarn thrive.

photo: courtesy darn good yarn

eye on industry

CELEBRATING OUR FIRST ANNIVERSARY IN BANGOR!

Thank you for a fantastic first year from the entire team at The First.

We’re glad to have helped so many fine folks in the community with their financial needs. And we’re sponsoring some of the city’s most exciting cultural attractions, like the new Maine Basketball Hall of Fame and Broadway’s Best in Bangor!

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Great community. Great team. Great banking! (l-r) Courtney Brehaut, Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager; Jeremy Daigle, Vice President, Business Relationship Officer; Cynthia Fogg, Vice President, Senior Mortgage Loan Officer; Nazrin Dixon, First Advisors Portfolio Manager; Lacy Massengale, Branch Supervisor

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Each month we showcase one of the business practices of our partners. business SPOTLIGHT

Our May 2014 featured business will be Quality Jewelers.

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Machias Savings Bank is now providing business banking solutions in the Presque Isle, Caribou and Portland communities.

Ron Dennis

April Murchinson

Lydia Pryor

Dennis Paper & Food Service Hampden, Maine

Possibilities Fine Gifts & Home Furnishings | Lincoln, Maine

Bayview Animal Hospital Gouldsboro, Maine

17186-MSB- Business Prospective—Bangor Metro.indd 1

© 2014 Machias Savings Bank. Member FDIC.

2/14/14 2:46 PM

WE PAY MORE! Bring in your sterling silver and gold and turn it into cash OR we will give you more than its value in exchange for something new for you or a gift for someone you love.

Our Designs, Your Love

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We have the best quality diamonds for your dollar and the largest selection of bridal jewelry in the area.

Jewelry Repair and Design— If we don’t have it, let our 3 in-house jewelers create it from a picture or drawing.

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metro health

It Takes a

village

Helping parents of autistic kids through the maze of Maine services available, step by step. By Joy Hollowell

18 / Bangor Metro April 2014

W

hen Jason Wainer was nine months old, he loved to lay on the floor and watch the rocking chair go back and forth. “I thought, ‘Oh, he’s going to be an engineer someday,’” says Jason’s mom, Kendra Wainer. “He loves to watch how things work.”

Looking back, the Orland mother now knows those were the early signs of autism. “I didn’t really put it together that this was a stimulation for him,” she says.

Jason was officially diagnosed with the disorder at the age of two. His mom had concerns about his lack of speech, and they were referred to a specialist. “The night before his speech evaluation, he actually started presenting signs of flapping, which we always hear about as being a sign [of autism],” Wainer says. “It caught my attention enough to think we’re on a different path than speech delay.”

Hearing the word “autism” aloud sent Wainer into a tailspin. “I felt guilty,” she says. “[I asked myself questions,] like, what did I eat during my pregnancy? Was it the bumpy boat ride? All these things that you play back in your mind and wonder about.

There’s a lot of guilt, a lot of confusion,

and a lot of emotions involved.”

Things got worse when Wainer was faced with finding the right services for her son. “I really wanted to throw the MaineCare application out the window,” she says and laughs. “It’s very complicated, and it’s just overwhelming.” She was pleased to see so many choices when it came to support services for her son. “But who do you choose when you don’t know anything about anyone?”

That’s where Rochelle Harriman steps in. Harriman, a nurse at Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) Pediatric Medicine and special education teacher, has been working for the last three years to build up the autism program at the Bangor medical office. The program is designed to help guide parents of children with autism through the complex state system.

This model is the only one of its kind in the state, according to the hospital.

“Parents have to navigate through the Department of Education system, which is Child Development Services, then through the MaineCare system. Then they have to navigate through early-intervention specialists, such as occupational therapists, speech therapists, and special education

services,” Harriman explains. “My role has been to journey with the parents, sometimes even before the diagnosis is provided. I give them a sense of what to anticipate through the process of evaluation and then through the process of meeting with the different agencies.”

According to the latest statistics, one in every 88 children in American falls somewhere on the autism spectrum.

The disorder is four to five times more likely to develop in boys than girls.

Research shows there isn’t a singular cause of the disorder; However, it is now being linked to biological as well as neurological differences in the brain.

“Autism is a pretty complex collection of behaviors related to difficulty with social interactions, difficulty with communication, difficulty with sharing emotions, and interacting with others,” says Dr. Michael Ross, lead pediatrician at EMMC Pediatric Medicine. He adds symptoms can range from mildly impaired to profound disabilities.

“What we found is that we were getting very good at picking up on children with these challenges in early to late toddler-hood,” Ross says. “What we weren’t

photos: mark mccall

Jason Wainer, pictured here with his mom Kendra, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 19

metro health Dr. Michael Ross

good about was being able to help these kids get the services they need in an expedited fashion, once the diagnosis was made.”

Harriman says while her services start at the first signs of autism, it’s a journey that continues while they grow. “Some of our patients have been diagnosed for four or five years, but they come upon a difficult time or a transition period,” she says.

“I’ll get a referral to support the parents through that time as well.”

“There’s pretty clear evidence that the earlier and more aggressive the intervention, the better off the outcome,” Ross says.

Anthony Zambrano has seen that happen first-hand. He’s the executive director of Downeast Horizons (DEHI), a nonprofit organization that assists children and adults with developmental disabilities. DEHI has facilities in Bangor, Ellsworth, Deer Isle, and on Mount Desert Island, offering everything from day and evening programs to in-home support. The nonprofit receives about a third of its funding from the state of

Improving our communities with excellence in health care

Rochelle Harriman, R.N.

presents the 21st Annual

Chefs’ Gala

a benefit for

Saturday, April 26, 2014 • 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm The Maine Coast Mall • 225 High Street, Ellsworth Seating is limited. Reserve tickets early at 207-664-5311 x2030 or at www.mainehospital.org. Tickets $100/each ($60 tax deductible) Proceeds support the Breast Clinic & Mammogram Scholarships 20 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Maine, and the rest comes from the federal government.

“The thing with people with developmental disabilities, they don’t get better without support,” Zambrano says. “The vast majority of people [with autism] are probably going to need some sort of support for the rest of their lives.”

At Downeast Horizons, specialists work with kids as well as adults on various behavioral and safety skills, which includes being out in the community. “Being in public can be a big issue for those with autism,” Zambrano explains. “We have places where the staff bring them for organized activities. It can be something as simple as a card game. It’s not necessarily the game we’re teaching them, but the activity of taking turns, being polite, making eye contact. Because, without those skills in the real world, your ability to be a productive part of society, to gain employment, and have relationships with other people will be hindered.”

Thomas and William Brochu take part in Downeast Horizon’s SPARKS program: “It stands for Socially Progressive Adolescents Reaching Keys to Success,” explains the twins’ mother, Vickie Brochu.

“I always make good friends [at SPARKS],” William Brochu says. “In circle, we talk about our behavior and about personal space, such as a handshake and when to give a person a hug.”

“During the summertime, we go on the [schooner] Margaret Todd [in Bar Harbor],” Thomas Brochu adds. “Usually we go out there when it’s nice and green and beautiful.”

The Brochu brothers turned 21 in February and are now considered adults, in the eyes of the state. That means a whole new set of services that are often difficult to get because of a lack of funding. Both boys were put on a waiting list when they were seniors in high school. “In the meantime, we were looking at some steppingstone programs,” Vickie Brochu says. “But then our new adult case manager called us to say the boys became eligible. I was so surprised, because it doesn’t always happen that way.”

Both Thomas and William were diagnosed with mental retardation (“MR,” as it was known in the medical world) when they were young. “It wasn’t until 15 to 20 years ago when autism was commonly diagnosed by doctors,” Zambrano explains. “Instead, they used MR. If today

you took that individual and you started all over again, more than likely probably 25% or more would be diagnosed with autism.”

That was the case with Thomas Brochu. Ten years ago, he was diagnosed with pervasive development disorder, not other specified (PDD-NOS), which is part of the autism spectrum. “When they came up with this new diagnosis, they also talked about a math learning disability,” Vickie Brochu says. “It was just like, ‘Oh, this fits better.’”

William does not have autism, but his communication disorder has many similarities, such as issues with eye contact, social cues, and focusing in on one subject at a time. Their mother says she has no regrets about the later-in-life diagnosis for Thomas. “Clearly there were some disabilities early on, so that was in my favor,” she says. “I think sometimes, when it’s not so clear, it’s much more difficult.”

She enrolled William in Downeast Horizons when he was a teenager. At the time, Thomas was attending another day program. “When I saw what they were doing at Downeast Horizons, I really wanted this for Thomas, too.”

Vickie Brochu says one of the things that drew her in was the social aspect of the program. “It helped the boys get into the community. It’s not just oneon-one, where a person goes out with them. There are other kids that they can do things with. They feel like they’re part of a group.”

Thomas smiles when asked what he enjoys most about DEHI. “I am grateful for this group because, if it had not been around, I probably wouldn’t have met my girlfriend.”

From toddlerhood to adulthood, the programs at Downeast Horizons and EMMC Pediatric Medicine provide families with steppingstones throughout their lifetime, to help give those with autism the very best chance at life.

Vickie Brochu hopes both her boys will be able to live on their own, eventually. “My goal for them is to be as independent as they can be,” she says.

“I would like them living in some type of independent setting, like in a group home. Or if they have an apartment, maybe they can have some assistance with that. Of course, I will always be in the picture, whether they like it or not,” she adds with a laugh.

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metro wellness

Expanded Sense of Self: Why Travel Stress is Always Worth It in the End

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” —Marcel Proust

O

ur recent trip to Utah to visit my sister started off as a total disaster. My two kids and I were packed and excited, and we had been counting down our departure date for months. Well, weren’t we surprised when the airlines oversold our flight and we were bumped from our own vacation? There I was, begging to the airline agents to no avail. Long story short, an hour after we were supposed be happily airborne, I was standing there at the airport with all of our luggage and my sniffling, defeated kids. We were not going to Utah that day; we were going back home. We re-booked the trip for the next available flight three days later, which, even then, would involve a super long day of visiting many airports in our new route to get to our vacation destination.

When we were finally on our way, there was a lot of waiting in lines and spending too much money on airport snacks when ours ran out. The kids were touching each other too much, and everyone was irritable. Even my secret mom stash of M&M’s in my bag couldn’t soothe them. I had more than a few moments of negative thoughts popping into my mind: Is this really all worth the fuss?

All this money, all this time, all this frustration, all of this wrangling of children in crowded airports for less than a weeklong trip across the country?

You can guess what I’m going to say, here, right? It was so worth it, and it is always worth it to expand your horizons. It is good for adults; it is great for kids. Besides 22 / Bangor Metro April 2014

all the wonderful memories with my sister’s family, all the bonds formed between cousins, all the cool stories my kids came home with, traveling is good for the body and soul. Taking yourself away from home has countless benefits. Here are a few things I learned from my travels: Learning to roll with it. I’m a planner, and I like things to be predictable, especially when dealing with kids. But no matter how meticulously you plan your trip, plans change and you need to be flexible. This is a hard one for me, but it’s such an important life lesson. I work hard, even before I leave for the airport, to adopt an attitude of “come what may.”

After all, it is a total privilege to be able to travel at all, which I tell myself often throughout the trip. When that doesn’t work, I use deep breathing techniques I learned in yoga classes. And chocolate.

Shaking up your fitness routine.

There is nothing like going to a new fitness class with your sister at her gym to remind you that you are in a bit of a fitness rut. I worked muscles that had been hiding out within me, untouched, while I plodded along in my regular running and swimming routines. When I’m away, I run on new and interesting roads (and at high altitudes in Utah), try out new fitness classes at the local gym, and, best of all, ski.

Being brave. When we are away from home and on a vacation, we tend to adopt a more adventurous persona and try things we normally would not. We try new foods and new activities and push ourselves in surprising ways. After a glorious day of

skiing on one of the premier ski mountains in the country, my 9-year-old daughter, who had just taken risks and skied terrain harder than she ever had before, said, “I feel different in Utah.” I knew just what she meant. Trying new things leaves us thinking, “If I can do this, what else could I do?”

Surprising ourselves leads to an expanded sense of who we are in the world, and that is a souvenir worth taking home.

Making a long-term investment. The pay-off and take-home benefits of a trip to a new part of the world are worth far more than the monetary costs. I reminded myself of this after I paid a bajillion dollars for my kids to ski in Utah. I was not just paying for the singular experience; I was hoping to instill a sense of wanderlust in my children, motivate them to strive for more than the ordinary and understand themselves outside of their regular routine. My parents gave me the same gift when I was growing up—camping trips, ski trips, road trips, weeks at the beach—all of which led to the feeling that the world is a wideopen and friendly place to explore.

Even if it will be stressful, even if you have to rough it, wing it, or make the best of it, just go. Get out. Get away. You will see new landscapes, yes. More importantly, you will see yourself differently when you return home.

Emilie Brand Manhart is a mom, runner, and triathlete who co-chairs the English Department at Bangor High School and writes the blog One Mom in Maine.

photo: fuse/thinkstock.com

By Emilie Brand Manhart

Brewer —

we’re anything but business as usual “We have always had a dream of owning our own specialty gift store. After doing our own research and talking with the Brewer Economic Development team, we felt Brewer had a hole that Celtic Moon Rising could fill. They helped us with site selection, marketing ideas and even hosted a focus group as we developed our product line. The people of Brewer have also been very supportive and appreciative of having more options to choose from in Brewer. We have achieved our dream here in Brewer; your business can, too!”

—Lorie and Matt Garnett, owners, Celtic Moon Rising

Pictured L-to-R: Lorie & Matt Garnett

Contact SuppliedD’arcy OriginalMain-Boyington, Economic Development Director 989-7500 • www.brewermaine.gov dmain-boyington@brewermaine.gov

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feature story

24 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Families in

Business These seven family-owned businesses have thrived for generations. By henry garfield

M

aine is home to many businesses that have been handed down from generation to generation, adapting to changing times and filling the needs of changing communities. Some have been in business for more than a century, and many are owned by the original family. These are the stories of a few of them.

Russakoff Jewelers circa 1910.

Photos: Courtesy of Russakoff Jewelers

RUSSAKOFF JEWELERS Skowhegan In order to stay in business for a century or longer, you need to be adaptable. When Susman Russakoff emigrated from Russia to New York City in 1904, he apprenticed for a watchmaker and learned the skill of watch repair. He noticed a substantial amount of repair work was sent from Maine. In 1907, he moved to Skowhegan and started his own business.

Today, grandson Andrew Russakoff, and his wife Donna operate the oldest continuously family owned jewelry store in Maine. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 25

feature story

“I think my family was originally in the jewelry business,” Andrew Russakoff says. “It goes back to the old country, where a lot of people made jewelry.”

Watches may have gone digital, leaving less work for watch repairman like his grandfather, but Russakoff says a good piece of jewelry is timeless. “We pride ourselves on the quality we put into every piece,” he says. “We’re not a fast-food jewelry store.”

Russakoff Jewelers moved to its current location, on Water Street, in the 1950s. Andrew Russakoff’s father, Archie, joined the family business after World War II. He and Phillis became sole owners when Susman Russakoff died in 1966. Archie worked in the business until his death in 1993.

Andrew Russakoff attributes the store’s longevity to two things: diversity of services and involvement in the community.

“We’re always busy with one thing or another,” he says. “We do engraving, appraisals—it runs the gamut. And our family has always been involved in the community. People value having a local jewelry store, staffed by people they know. We help our neighbors celebrate their lives and their memories. We’re 26 / Bangor Metro April 2014

giving them more than just a piece of jewelry.”

HARRIS DRUG STORE Greenville Almost every town had one: a locally owned pharmacy and drug store, with a soda fountain behind a counter. People would gather during lunch breaks or on a leisurely Saturday morning. Harris Drug Store in Greenville, which opened at the foot of Moosehead Lake in 1896, is one of the last ones remaining.

“We’re one of the few independent pharmacies left in the state,” says Lisa Harris, great-granddaughter of the store founder Isaac Augustus Harris. “We serve a lot of the surrounding communities that don’t have pharmacies. People are grateful for the service. They like having a local

pharmacy up here that they don’t have to leave the area for. It’s not like going to one of the big chains.”

Lisa’s brother Michael is the pharmacist. The store is owned by their 75-yearold father, Harold Harris. “Gus,” as he’s called in honor of his grandfather, is a pharmacist himself, who still works two or three days a week.

Harris Drug Store is open seven days a week, closing only for New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

“I remember, as a kid, if the pharmacy wasn’t open, people would come to our house if they needed something, and my dad would go down and open it up,” Lisa Harris says.

She and Michael are the fourth generation of Harrises to run the store. The family also operates the popular Frostyland Dairy Bar, attached to the drug store and open during the warmer months, and two local gift shops, one year-round and one seasonal.

In 1963, the store burned and was rebuilt in the same location remaining an anchor of small-town life. “We have a regular crew of coffee drinkers in the morning,” Lisa Harris says. “In the summertime, especially, we’ll get people coming in for ice cream or a milkshake

Photos: (top) courtesy of Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co. Collection, Penobscot Marine Museum; (left) courtesy of Harris Drug Store

Isaac Augustus Harris (right) stands outside of his drug store with his employee, Henry Red Eagle.

or a sundae. Over the years, we’ve built solid relationships with our regular customers, and that’s what keeps us going.”

Photos: (top & Right) courtesy of colburn shoe store; (far right) courtesy of S.L. Wadsworth & Sons ship chandlery

COLBURN SHOE STORE Belfast Colburn Shoe Store has been a fixture in downtown Belfast since 1832. It’s the oldest shoe store in the United States, in fact, as documented by the National Shoe Retailers Association.

At its present location on Main Street, where it has been located since 1905, store employees still use rolling ladders to reach shoes on high shelves. Shopping for shoes there is like stepping into another era.

“We’ve tried to keep it an old-fashioned type store,” says owner Brian Top: Brian Horne. This photo: Colburn Shoe Store on Main Street in Belfast.

Horne. “Some people come in here and think it’s a museum.”

Coburn’s has managed to thrive, despite the many changes that have come to Belfast in recent decades, from chicken factory town to financial center to boating and summer tourist destination.

“We’ve just kept to what’s worked for all those years,” Horne says. “We focus on quality, service, and reasonable prices.

We’ve had generations of loyal customers, people who come in and say, ‘Granny got her shoes here when she was a kid.’”

Horne’s great-uncle, Ben Smalley, went to work at the store in the 1890s.

It was then owned by the last of the Coburns, Gus Coburn, a childless bachelor.

Smalley bought the business from Gus Coburn, and it has been in the family ever since.

Brian Horne first worked at the store in 1972. He moved to Manchester, New Hampshire to work for Tom McCann, the shoe store chain. “My Dad was about the same age I am now, in his fifties, when he called me and asked me if I wanted to come home and work for him. I said yes.”

He has been running the family business since 1981. His son Colby, a graduate of Husson University, now works at the store alongside his father.

“I worked here all through high school and college,” Colby Horne says. “We do rely on summer tourism, but our customer base is a good blend of that and solid support from local folks.”

“We’re fortunate to own our own

building,” Brian Horne says. “It takes a lot of work, but it gives us some flexibility.”

In the 1990s, they dug out the basement and built a bargain basement section into the store. They renovated the second and third floors of the building and now rent them out as office space and an apartment.

Both father and son acknowledge competition with national chains is tough. “But I think we offer something they don’t,” Colby Horne says. “Product knowledge, customer service, just the overall customer experience—it’s nicer in a place like ours.”

S. L. WADSWORTH & SONS SHIP CHANDLERY Eastport James Monroe was President. George Washington was dead, but John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were still alive and enjoying their roles as elder statesmen. The year was 1818, and Samuel Wadsworth opened a ship chandlery on the wharf in Eastport.

The nation’s oldest ship chandlery, now in its sixth generation of family proprietorship, has its roots in the War of 1812, when British troops occupied Eastport. Wadsworth’s father, General Peleg Wadsworth, had been an aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Samuel Wadsworth was one of the first American businessmen to set up shop in Eastport when the British left.

The store is now primarily a hardware store and nautically themed gift shop.

The owners are brothers Chris and Scott Brown. Chris winters in Florida and Scott lives in southern Maine, but the store remains open all year. “Their mother was the last Wadsworth,” says store manager Al Foster. “They’re the sixth generation of the family to run it.”

The chandlery has been in business continuously since it first opened nearly 200 years ago. The only brief interruptions www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 27

S.L. Wadsworth & Sons Ship Chandlery in its heyday.

in service have been caused by disasters: the Big Fire of 1886, the Hurricane of November 1945, and the Groundhog Day Gale of 1976.

On February 2, 1976, a severe winter storm packing winds of up to 100 miles per hour slammed into eastern Maine and Atlantic Canada. Eastport’s entire wharf was destroyed; the historic

Wadsworth building collapsed into the sea. Three months later, on May 2, S & L Wadsworth reopened at its present location on Water Street. It has been there ever since.

Foster says the focus has shifted away from marine supplies in recent decades, toward everyday hardware supplies and gifts. Another nautical store, Moose Is-

93

You read that right. The Scootic In has only one “n” in its name. That’s because it is not an inn. It’s a restaurant.

“At one point, my husband’s grand-

rS

Brewer, Maine www.wsemersononline.com

.S. Emerson Company Inc. was founded in 1921.

It survived the Great Depression and, in 1933, John Vickery was appointed general manager. John’s younger brother Winslow joined the family business in 1950, and Winslow’s sons, John and Russ, in 1966.

The company has expanded twice, first with a 33,000-square-foot warehouse and showroom in 1965, and again in 2003 with the addition of 10,000square-feet of more storage. Today, W.S. Emerson Company specializes in customized ink-jet full-color digital printing, conventional screenprinting, embroidery, appliqué, fire retardant and high visibility safety apparel, and promotional products and corporate gifts. Their retail store, Miller’s Workshop, specializes in Carhartt work clothes and boots. Their customers include schools, banks, hospitals, corporations, campgrounds, and utility/construction companies.

After 30 years as president of the Company, John A. Vickery, Sr. retired in January 2013. John A. Vickery Jr. and his wife Betsy are now leading the family business, ensuring the continuation of Emerson Company in the Bangor-Brewer business community for another generation.

Today, the company is Maine’s largest custom garment decorator with over 45 employees. Our “Satisfaction Guaranteed” promise lives on.

28 / Bangor Metro April 2014

SCOOTIC IN Millinocket

YEa

W. S. Emerson

W

land Marine, has been serving boat owners in Eastport for the past 25 years, and mariners now buy much of their equipment online. “There really isn’t any need for two marine stores in town,” Foster says. “And the marine supply business has become such that a lot of that stuff is available directly from the wholesaler.”

But the nation’s oldest ship chandlery continues to attract customers, both local and from away, throughout the year. It is open year-round in the heart of Eastport, though winter weekend hours are limited. And it remains true to the original definition of a chandlery, which in Old English meant candle maker or candle seller, but evolved to mean a place that sells a little bit of everything, for boat and home. For nearly 200 years, S & L Wadsworth & Son has done just that.

DIGITAL PRINTING • SCREENPRINTING EMBROIDERY • LASER APPLIQUE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS

www.wsemerson.com 1-800-789-6120 15 Acme Rd, Brewer, ME 207-989-3410 Across from the Brewer Auditorium

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 15 Acme Rd, Brewer, ME 207-989-3187 Across from the Brewer Auditorium

Photo: courtesy of S.L. Wadsworth & Sons ship chandlery

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Maine Potato Board

Presque Isle, Maine | www.mainepotatoes.com

T

he Maine potato industry is a critical part of Maine’s economy.

Annually, more than $550 million is contributed to the economy, directly and indirectly, and more than 6,100 people are employed in the Maine potato industry in some capacity. The growers who raise this annual crop are the key to the Maine potato industry’s success.

And these growers are the first to tell anyone that the secret ingredient of success is their family. Whether raising potatoes in the St. John Valley, elsewhere in the County or anywhere in the state, the family farm, be it modest size or thousands of acres, is the core of the industry. The family unit provides support, encouragement, and a helping hand – from Pepere to the very youngest generation.

Most of all, the family helps to keep family traditions alive and vibrant, the traditions that accompany an unfailing work ethic, dedication to the family’s farm, and the heritage of quality.

From planting to diggin’ and beyond, Maine potatoes are in good hands!

PhoToS by PAul Cyr

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 29

The Scootic In in Millinocket is a local mainstay.

mother had rooms for rent,” says Bea Simon, who runs the restaurant with husband George. “I think they dropped the other ‘n’ when they stopped renting out rooms.”

“I never have really gotten a straight answer to that question,” George Simon says. His grandparents, John Sr. and Fannie Simon, began operating a restaurant on the site in the early 1900s.

George and Bea have owned the place since 1983. Through the years, a fourth generation has helped in the business, and a fifth is getting its feet wet in the workplace. “If you look around, you’ll see a family member on duty most of the time,” George Simon says.

The word Scootic is derived from a Penobscot Indian word meaning “big fish,” according to Bea Simon. It’s the same root word that gives Schoodic Point, on the Downeast coast, its name. Though miles from the ocean, the Scootic In is known for its seafood.

The building that houses the restaurant has a colorful history. Beginning in 1901, it was constructed in several sections over the next few years. Parts of the building have been occupied over the years by a parade of businesses: a soda fountain, a sporting goods store, a law office, a barbershop, a pool room, a Firestone store, an insurance agency, and an arcade. The family lived on the upper floor, and, in the early years at least, took on boarders.

The restaurant remains an anchor in a sea of change. It’s open year-round, 30 / Bangor Metro April 2014

serving lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and seven days a week in the summer.

“We have a good local trade, and the tourists have discovered us,” George Simon says. The Simons also run Simon’s grocery, housed in the same building.

“This restaurant is owner-run; it’s not manager-run,” Bea Simon says. “And that makes a big difference. We pride ourselves on hard work, good food, and great personal service.”

S. W. COLLINS COMPANY Caribou Since its beginnings in 1884, the S. W. Collins Company has been inextricably intertwined with the infrastructure of Aroostook County. The company provided the tools for people to build homes, barns, potato storage buildings, S.W. Collins has gone through many changes in its 130 year history.

sporting camps, garages, schools, hospitals, bridges, and businesses people in Maine’s northernmost county have come to rely on.

But the company’s emphasis has always been on building relationships.

“Here in the County, the customers we serve are also our friends and neighbors,” says company president Sam Collins.

He is the great-great-grandson of the company’s founder, Samuel Wilson Collins, who started a grist mill and logging operation in Caribou in 1844. The line of succession runs through Herschel Douglas Collins, the founder’s son, and his son, also named Samuel. The current president—the third Sam to run business—took over from his father, Donald F. Collins.

Versatility has been the key to the company’s longevity. “We started out milling logs and shipping them out of the County,” Collins says. “Over the years, we’ve evolved, first into construction, and then into the retail lumber business, and finally into building supplies, which is our primary business today.”

His brother Gregg is the company’s vice president. Their sister, Susan Collins, represents Maine in the U.S. Senate.

Today the company has four locations, in Caribou, Presque Isle, Houlton, and Lincoln. The original S. W. Collins store sits on the banks of the Caribou

Photos: (top) Lynn Beaulier; (left and bottom) Courtesy S. W. Collins Company; (Opposite) courtesy of the brewer historical society

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Stream. The S. W. Collins Home Design Center, a stone’s throw from the main store, showcases a selection of stock and custom cabinetry, counter tops, and other items for the home.

“We’re a tight-knit group of people,” Sam Collins says. “Throughout the years, we’ve kept our focus on our customers and the people who work for us. We’re always trying to be better tomorrow than we are today.”

GETCHELL BROTHERS ICE COMPANY Brewer The oldest business in Brewer sits on the shore of the Penobscot River, where it began harvesting ice in 1888.

That’s when brothers J. Calvin and Fred Getchell, ages 15 and 14, went into the ice business. Four generations later, the company is still going strong.

“I have always been interested in the history of the ice business,” says current owner Doug Farnham. “Most people have no idea how big the business was in the late 1800s into the turn of the century.”

In 1890, Getchell Brothers was one of nearly 20 ice companies on both sides of the river near Bangor. “The big ice com-

panies dominated the Penobscot, shipping most of their ice out of the local area,” Farnham says. “Getchell Brothers moved operations early on to the Kenduskeag Stream and focused on the local Bangor-Brewer homes.” Ice was stored in ice houses, insulated with sawdust. At the peak of the local ice business, small ice houses lined the shore of the Kenduskeag Stream.

For several decades, Getchell Brothers operated on the Kenduskeag, with a downtown Bangor office on Oak Street.

In 1945, Ralph Getchell, Farnham’s grandfather, built a modern ice plant in Brewer using an ammonia refrigeration system.

In 1949, the company placed a coin-operated ice machine on Hammond Street, marking the first time in the area that ice was available other than by home delivery.

In 1954, the last natural ice was harvested from the Kenduskeag.

The business continued to expand into the modern era. Several large turbo ice makers were installed. In 1995 the old block plant was removed to make room for additional modern ice makers, allowing for the production of up to 40,000 bags of ice per day. In 1999, Getchell Brothers opened a second plant, in San-

ford, Maine, doubling the company’s ice-making capacity.

Farnham purchased the company from his parents, Will and Louise (Getchell) Farnham, in 2002. He worked at the company for more than a decade, after attending the Air force Academy and serving in the U.S. Air Force. He is the Wing Commander for the 101st Air Refueling Wing of the Maine National Guard.

Since the September 11 attacks, he has seen periodic active duty and answered questions for this story via email from Qatar, where he was stationed on a fourmonth tour of duty.

Over the years, the company has taken on several side businesses to complement ice sales. These businesses have included lumber, firewood, brick making, coal, home heating oil, and window coverage. Today, Getchell Brothers is a leading distributor of ice cream in northern New England. In 2003 the company became a licensee of the Arctic Glacier brand of ice, distributed throughout Canada, New England, the mid-Atlantic states, the Midwest, and California. The company has about 25 full-time employees, but the number rises to about 75 during the summer.

Getchell Brothers has been in the ice business since 1888.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 31

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Over the last 25 years, Day’s continued to grow and became the six-store operation as it stands now. Jeff and Kathy’s son Joe manages Day’s Jewelers in Manchester, New Hampshire alongside his cousin Corey Johnston, who was also raised in the jewelry business by Jeff and Jim’s sister, Jayne, who owns Kendall’s Jewelers in Calais, Maine. Joe and Corey are continuing the tradition that their grandfather began with the Davidsons more than 50 years ago.

In over a century, Day’s Jewelers evolved from a pawn shop, to the fine jewelry store it is today, thanks to one philosophy that was shared by both families. The secret to running any successful business is in the way that guests are treated when they choose to do business with you. The Davidson family taught that to Robert Corey who then passed it down to his children, who passed

Day’s Jewelers

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on their children. This philosophy is not only ingrained in the year, Day’s Jewelers celebrates 100- years in business. NH. it800-439-3297 ICK - SOUTHhisPORTLAND - WATERVILLE MANCHESTER, family that owns the business, but is the foundation of the Day’s Unlike some family businesses, Day’s has succeeded from the a m o n d s iresults n e xofchard e p twork i o nand a ldedication d e s i gfrom n s two a t different w w w.Maine d a y s jset ew l e roperating s . c o mvalues that are spoke of often in the day to ofecore day operation of the business. families that were crucial to the longevity of the firm. The company This philosophy gives the most power to associates working was established in 1914 by Sea Captain Harry Davidson, whose on the front lines with guests and every other member of the ill health forced him to abandon a life at sea. The first Day’s was a team works to support their needs in giving the guest an unforsmall pawn shop located in the Old Port of Portland, Maine. Shortly gettable experience. Under this formula, Day’s continues to grow after being founded, Harry was joined by his sons and over the next and innovate while maintaining the experience guests have come 30 years grew the business to 21 Day’s locations, making Day’s a to expect. Day’s has come to be known throughout the jewelry household name across New England. industry worldwide as one of the top jewelers in America because After World War II, Day’s proudly employed several veterans of innovative practices, like responsible sourcing and establishing returning from service. One of these young veterans was Robert a full e-commerce website that allows guests to shop online from Corey, the father of Day’s current owners, Jeff and Jim Corey. a selection of more than 10,000 items.

Robert worked alongside the Davidson family, developed a love Jewelers all across America are facing new challenges as the for the jewelry business, and learned what made it tick. At 19, culture has changed over the years. “A relationship with a jeweler he became the manager of Day’s Jewelers in Caribou. In 1955, used to be a lot like a relationship with a doctor or a lawyer in the Robert opened his own jewelry store, Robert’s Jewelry, in Madapast,” says Jeff Corey, owner and vice president of marketing for waska, Maine where he would raise his family. He passed down Day’s. “Families had a family doctor, a family lawyer, and a family the “guest-centric” philosophy, knowledge, and work ethic he had cultivated during his time at Day’s. Robert’s passion sparked jeweler that they trusted and passed that trust along to future generations. Today guests are bombarded with options and jewela fire in several of his children, who grew up to own jewelry busiers are challenged to find new ways to get young people into their nesses of their own, including his oldest son Jeff. Jeff opened stores.”

Jeffery’s Fine Jewelers in 1984 with his wife Kathy in Waterville, Instead of trying to cling to a traditional way of doing busiMaine. The pair quickly made a name for themselves in the jewness, Day’s has embraced new media to reach a younger audience elry industry, just like Robert had. while still honoring the traditions that made Day’s a household By 1988, Day’s was hit hard by changing times and had name for 100 years. Day’s utilizes social networks, blogging, and shrunk to just one location. The remaining Davidson brothers other new technology to build relationships with younger customwere ready to retire but were concerned that, without an heir to ers before they even step foot into a store. When guests do come the Day’s name, the organization that had helped to define their lives would die. Knowing that Jeff had been raised with the Day’s into the stores they are welcome to browse at their own pace and won’t be pressured by sales associates. The Day’s experience has philosophy in his blood, and recognizing the success of Jeffrey’s always strived to feel more like you’re visiting a friend’s home Fine Jewelers, Sidney and David Davidson asked Jeff and Kathy to lead the Day’s brand into the future. Agreeing to continue the than a retail experience. The belief that hospitality is appreciated by every one of all demographics that was shared by two different Day’s legacy, Jeff, Kathy, and Jim took the helm and established families has kept Day’s moving in the right direction for a century.

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Appreciate the

Renovate It’s that time of year again—time to start on those home renovation projects you have been dreaming about all winter long. Whether it’s a fresh coat of paint or something that requires a bit more heavy lifting, the results speak for themselves. By Melanie Brooks

34 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Photo: melanie Brooks; (inset) courtesy Courtney wetzel

The before and after of the Wetzel’s kitchen renovation.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 35

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ome remodeling projects— no matter the size or scope— can seem daunting. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it can also seem expensive. But with a little planning and education, you’d be surprised what you can accomplish yourself.

We met with two novice do-it-yourselfers who made major changes to their homes. Thanks to the Internet and creative problem solving, these homeowners have accomplished amazing projects with panache.

The Wetzel’s bathroom went through a dramatic change, thanks to Courtney’s penchant for stencils.

36 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Courtney and Zane Wetzel moved from Dayton, Ohio to northern Maine in search of peace and quiet. “We knew we wanted to live either near Zane’s family in Ohio or my family in Maine,” Courtney Wetzel says. So they tried living in Ohio, but the buildings were too tall and close together, and the couple started dreaming of owning land—lots of it.

“When we moved back to Maine, Zane had been here just once—for our wedding,” Wetzel says. The couple fell in love with a home in Easton that had a large barn and more than 50 acres of land. The only problem was that the house needed some serious remodeling.

“It had been on the market for three years,” Wetzel says. “It’s a 1970s splitlevel with add-ons. We redid the entire layout.”

The Wetzels bought the house in July 2012 and moved in over a year later, in November 2013. During that time they tore down walls, pulled up floors, and created an open layout with modern touches that they are enjoying today.

Zane, a planner who works at Emera, learned how to do everything himself.

The couple also had help from family members and friends along the way.

“Zane is the kind of guy who can watch a YouTube video on how to do something once and know how to do it,” Wetzel says.

“He learned how to plumb by watching YouTube videos, and we use the Internet to figure out how to install spray foam ourselves.”

Wetzel, who has a background in interior design, took the time to design her home to her taste and style. She picked out paint colors and the stencils that grace one of the walls in her downstairs bathroom. The dark orange shade of the

Photos: (left and opposite) melaniie brooks; (inset) courtesy courtney Wetzel

Tear the House Down

Courtney Wetzel

original paint made the bathroom appear smaller than it was. “When you looked in the mirror, you looked orange, too!” Wetzel says. She decided on a soft gray palate and went to work painting the walls top to bottom. She chose a darker shade of gray for the stencil, which she ordered online.

She started at the very top left corner and adhered the two-foot-square stencil to the wall. Using a mini foam roller, which she blotted with a paper towel to remove excess paint before applying to

the wall, she applied two thin coats of paint. “Stenciling is time intensive, as you have to wait for the layers of paint to dry before removing the stencil and moving on,” Wetzel says. “It helps to have a fan blowing on the wall while you’re painting. It’s a good project to do while you’re working on something else.” She worked across and down, covering the entire wall. “The good thing about stenciling is that, if you get sick of it, it’s easier to remove than wallpaper.”

Wetzel, who is the owner of Pancso-

far’s Bridal Boutique in downtown Presque Isle, put her stenciling skills to use at her showroom. Each of the dressing rooms has a stencil of a chandelier, and the wall behind the cash register has an intricate gray and white pattern.

Wetzel isn’t only handy with a paintbrush, she’s great with a hammer, too.

She designed and made a bench at Pancsofar’s, as well as her bedroom headboard and the ottomans in her living room.

Her can-do attitude is strengthened by the fact that she can’t always find exactly what she’s looking for in stores—especially in northern Maine. “I have my eyes open wherever I go. If I can’t find what I want, or if I think it’s too expensive, I’ll try to make it myself,” she says.

Radiant heat and new flooring is another project that the Wetzel’s tackled in their home remodeling. Wetzel decided to up the ante and create a pattern on the floor of her upstairs bathroom for added pizazz. The chevron-like pattern took a lot of planning and a lot of time, Wetzel says, but she loves the end result.

Wetzel says that she and her husband learned a lot of lessons from mistakes they’ve made along the way. For example, they learned the hard way about how wood expands and contracts, depending on the season and amount of humidity in the air. “Don’t store your cabinets and doors outside in your barn for any length of time,” she says. “They expand outside and contract inside. If you are going to paint outside, bring your project into your house afterwards.” She points to a few cracks in the joints of her cabinets as an example. “I’m going to be fixing these this summer.”

There is still work to be done in the Wetzel’s home. They will install trim this summer, and the master bathroom will be finished. More bedrooms will be added along the way, too, as well as a new kitchen floor. But huge progress has been made. The house they bought looks nothing like the house they are living in now, thanks to a little ingenuity, a lot of hard work, and an eye for detail.

Fixer Upper On a walk through their neighborhood, Matt Green-Hamann and his fiancée Sara noticed a small “For Sale” sign in the window of an abandoned house.

They were looking forward to graduating college, getting married, and wanted www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 37

The before and after of GreenHamann’s bookcase door.

38 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Photos: (opposite and above) melaniie brooks; (inset) courtesy matt green-hamann

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to buy a house nearby. This fixer-upper was priced right. The couple bought it in the spring of 2003, and the renovations began.

Green-Hamann is not a contractor by trade—he works as Husson University’s website manager and social media director—but handiness does run in his family. His father is an accomplished carpenter. “He’s so good at what he does that every time he comes to visit, I get a little nervous,” Green-Hamann says. Even though he had worked for a few summers for his father at an architectural woodworking company, he didn’t have any home renovation experience when the couple bought the house. “I didn’t know anything about drywall or wiring,” he says. He took a class in electrical work, did a lot of research on his own, and got a lot of help from relatives.

“The house was in rough shape,” Green-Hamann says. “It had been empty for about a year.” The first thing he did was have the house professionally leveled. Then came new windows, a new roof, new wiring and lights, and insulation. “I tackled one room at a time. I’ve done something to every room in the house.”

Green-Hamann has a passion for renovation, and he has become quite creative when it comes to his home. One of his favorite projects is the hidden door he created in the kitchen. “The door that was there was a solid wood door, with

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two sheets of drywall nailed to the back of it for some reason,” he says. Because the house would shift, the door to the basement frequently stuck, making it a pain to open and close.

The couple’s kitchen didn’t have a lot of storage at the time, and they wanted someplace handy to keep their cookbooks. Green-Hamann decided to build a bookcase, frame it like a door, and attach hinges. “SOSS hinges are what are normally used when building a professional hidden door like this,” he says. “But they’re really pricey.” Green-Hamann figured out a way to make his hidden

door using hinges he could find at the local hardware store, and end result is astonishing. The hidden door looks like nothing more than a built in bookcase. A gentle push on the bookshelf opens the door to the basement.

Another project that Green-Hamann is finishing up is the back entrance. It wasn’t a well used area, and it needed reorganizing. The couple wanted a place to put their washer and dryer, which had been located in a closet space off of the kitchen that abutted the dining area. The new back entrance is now part laundry room, part mud room. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 39

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Matt Green-Hamann installed fold-up seats from the old Bangor Auditorium in his back foyer.

Two folding seats from the old Bangor Auditorium are bolted to the wall and offer a place to take boots on and off, without taking up much room. “I meant to get to the auditorium when they were auctioning off the seats, but by the time I could get there they were gone,” he says. Luckily he found two seats for sale online for the right price.

The frame that hangs over the seats is filled with snips of things Green-Hamann found in the walls of the house during renovations. There are old photos, envelopes, and a receipt from Freese’s Department Store. Green-Hamann has a

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box filled with all sorts of things he’s collected from the walls, including newspaper articles, advertisements, and bottle caps.

As warmer temperatures come to Maine, Green-Hamann looks ahead to summer projects, which include refinishing the floors downstairs and redesigning the kitchen to create more counter space. “I’ll probably never be done,” he says, as he looks around his living room. “Home projects are easy to manage, when you set your goals and go step by step. If you constantly think about the entire project, you’ll get overwhelmed.”

Wondering what to do tonight?

Visit bangormetro.com and check out our calendar of events

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 41

a piece of maine: lincoln

The Land of 13 Lakes

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here are winters that try the patience of even the heartiest of Mainers. Those years when the sprawl between autumn and mud season challenges everyone, from the diehard defender of snow to the cold-weather martyr. These are the winters when ice storms and endless gallons of fuel oil inspire a longing for warm breezes by the lake, trips to camp, and afternoons lost to

42 / Bangor Metro April 2014

fishing and hikes under clear blue skies.

Imagine then what life would be in a town where that trip to the lake required nothing more than a stroll to the end of Main Street. Lincoln is just that place, laying claim to a total of 13 lakes. Its definitive calling card is the picture postcard view of Mattanawcook Lake, which greets folks driving into downtown from the bustle of West Broadway.

Photo: melanie brooks

Fifty miles north of Bangor on I-95, surrounded by over a dozen beautiful lakes, is the town of Lincoln. By Tom Avila-Beck

Photos: (top) courtesy Heirlooms reunited.blogspot.com; (middle and bottom) Courtesy the town of Lincoln.

The Penobscot River on the outskirts of Lincoln.

The toughest grip of winter blues melts away when considering a summer evening by the gazebo in MacEachernLee Rush Park. Maybe it’s a Friday night and a band is playing. Maybe a family is debating whether anyone has room for a piece of pie from the Timberhouse Restaurant on Fleming Street. Maybe the kids want to see if the ducks are swimming in the stream by the public library.

Maybe it’s time to stop imagining and start discovering all that Lincoln has to offer.

History Lincoln takes its name from Enoch Lincoln, a Massachusetts-born attorney who served as the sixth governor of the state of Maine starting in 1827. Governor Lincoln died in office in October of 1829, the same year that the town of Lincoln was incorporated. At the time of incorporation, the town boasted 400 residents.

Top: A log drive along Fleming Street. Middle: A view of Main Street.

Bottom: Workers at the E. A. Hurd quarry in Lincoln. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 43

a piece of maine: lincoln

While this seems a small number, consider that Lincoln’s first settler arrived just seven years earlier. Aaron Woodbury arrived from Orrington in 1822. One year later, Alfred Gates, Benjamin Chesley, and John Carpenter arrived.

The establishment and growth of the town of Lincoln reads like so many Maine towns. But, as difficult as the life of early settlers were everywhere, the drive northward offered unique challenges.

Settlement was slower, access was challenging, and the land was tougher to use. In the early 1800s, Lincoln’s settlers largely depended on items to be delivered from Old Town by boat.

In 1846 a legislative act was passed authorizing William Moor and Daniel Moor, Jr. to clear the Penobscot River north of Old Town, making the route safe for navigation. The Penobscot River Navigation 44 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Company was approved in July, and the first steamboat—the Governor John Neptune, named for the Governor of the Penobscot Indian Nation—was launched not long after. It was 1847 when the Neptune was able to take advantage of particularly high waters and make its first journey all the way to Lincoln.

A second steamship, the Mattanawcook, made the trip from Old Town to Lincoln on August 1, 1848, but it was held up just south of Lincoln Center due to obstructions in the river. Then a third boat was added, followed by a number of sales and transfers of ownership of the Penobscot River Navigation Company. Regardless of what went on behind the scenes, the development of river transportation revolutionized travel between Lincoln and its nearest commercial hub, greatly easing opportunities for expanding the town.

Civil War monument

Photos: melanie Brooks

The old schoolhouse is part of the Lincoln Historical Society.

But looking beyond the dates and building records, what shouts most strikingly from the history of Lincoln is the spirit, generosity, and commitment of the town’s early residents. When word reached Lincoln about the surrender of General Robert E. Lee, all the buildings on Main Street were lit up in celebration.

Members of the community gathered in one of the local hotels for an evening of prayer, songs, and speeches. Lincoln’s residents also quickly started a fund to aid the soldiers. According to an April 13, 1865 article in Bangor’s Whig and Courier newspaper, the fund reached a significant $150 and was continuing to climb.

Patriotism certainly played a role in the excitement demonstrated by the people of the town, but the Civil War had a very real impact on the then northern outpost.

During 1861, some 85 men from Lincoln volunteered to fight. A year later they were joined by another 58. The town surpassed the quota of volunteers requested by the Union leadership. More than 25 Civil War regiments included soldiers who longed to return to Lincoln.

Today the Stinchfield Soldiers’ Monument, “Erected in honor of the men of Lincoln who served their country in the war which preserved the Union, destroyed slavery and maintained the Constitution, 1861-1865,” stands proudly and prominently in Lincoln’s downtown. It’s joined by the town’s “Doughboy” statue, dedicated in 1926. The figure of a soldier is one of just a few World War I monuments in the state of Maine.

Even though Lincoln actively honors its past, as a visit to the Historical Society’s “Little Red Schoolhouse” demonstrates, it’s realizing its future.

The gazebo in downtown Lincoln on the edge of Mattanawcook Pond.

A Growing Community “A lot of people drive right by on the Interstate,” says Bill Lawrence, Lincoln’s town manager. “But those who do stop when they turn on West Broadway, they’re pleasantly surprised. Lincoln has now become a service hub for Northern Penobscot County. People are coming to Lincoln to do their shopping and eat in restaurants. They see that Lincoln is alive and well and has a lot to offer.”

Will LaBrie, executive director of Lincoln’s Chamber of Commerce, shares that optimistic view on the town’s future, buoyed no doubt by the town’s official business friendly certification.

“Lincoln is growing,” LaBrie says. “We’re getting natural gas in the spring. Aubuchon Hardware is adding a new storage facility. There’s still talk of the Walmart becoming a Super Walmart. We have a Dunkin’ Donuts coming.”

Lincoln also saw the arrival of S.W. Collins lumber and hardware. “They’re huge in the County and for them to research and realize that they want to come to Lincoln speaks volumes for the community,” LaBrie says.

Lincoln Paper and Tissue, one of the

country’s leading producers of high-quality tissue products, makes its home in Lincoln. With some 200 employees, it’s one of the area’s largest employers and also a company that is mindful of the great value of the region that surrounds it. The paper giant takes part in certification systems that promote sustainable forest management, converting its wood waste and biomass solids into steam and electricity and using natural gas in its processing to reduce the mill’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Alongside the big names and big boxes, Lincoln is also encouraging and supporting homegrown businesses that make locals proud. Todd and Barbara Sweet are the husband and wife behind Sweet Riverview Farm. The former dairy farm that once belonged to Todd’s father is now a small operation located right off the main road. Todd’s dad inherited it and, five years ago, Todd and Barbara moved to Lincoln to help with the restoration. Entrepreneurs at heart, the pair have tackled a number of business opportunities throughout their 15 years of marriage. Listening to them talk about the farm and the reception they’ve received in Lincoln, one can’t help but wonder if

they’ve found their true calling.

“We operate directly off the porch at the front of the house,” Barbara explains. “It’s very laid back. People will come and sit and chat before they move on their way. We’ve had so many wonderful people stopping by.”

Sweet Riverview Farm offers eggs as well as beef and pork from the farm. This past year, the Sweets started a poultry processing center, where they have been processing birds from other farms as well. “We opened in July and closed in November and have had such an amazing response,” Barbara says. “We hope to double what we accomplished first season this year.”

Which is exactly the kind of ambition people like the Chamber’s LaBrie likes to hear.

“Lincoln is becoming a good destination spot. If you like fishing, boating, snowmobiling, four-wheeling, you have all these things. But there’s also a lot of room for businesses to come and grow,” he says. “We’re ready, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Natural Beauty Regardless of how the conversation begins, www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 45

a piece of maine: lincoln

lincoln stats Population: 2,884 Incorporated: January 30, 1829 Mil Rate: 22.96 Elevation: 218 feet Median Age: 40.8 Median Household Income: $25,651 Median Home Value: $99,970 Education: • Ella P. Burr Elementary School • Mattanawcook Junior High School • Mattanawcook Academy • Northern Penobscot Tech Region III

46 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Prominent Businesses and Institutions: • Lincoln Paper and Tissue • Penobscot Valley Hospital • Johnston Dandy Company • Fastco Corp.

Natural Resources: • Cambolasse Pond • Caribou Pond • Center Pond • Cold Stream Pond • Crooked Pond • Egg Pond • Folsom Pond • Little Round Pond • Long Pond • Mattanawcook Lake • Snag Pond • Upper Pond • Upper Cold Stream Pond • Abundant Snowmobile and ATV Trails

at some point any Lincoln native, asked to talk about their town, will mention the abundance of outdoor activities and the 13 lakes. (In case you’re curious or want to transform a bit of rote memorization into a great party trick they are: Cambolasse Pond, Caribou Pond, Center Pond, Cold Stream Pond, Crooked Pond, Egg Pond, Folsom Pond, Little Round Pond, Long Pond, Mattanawcook Lake, Snag Pond, Upper Pond, and Upper Cold Stream Pond.)

“The comment that I hear routinely from people the first time they come to Lincoln is that they’re surprised when they turn onto Main Street that they’re viewing a lake,” Bill Lawrence says. “A lot of folks think of Lincoln as just a mill town without realizing just how much natural beauty there is in the 73 square miles that surround the town.”

For those wish to try all the region has to offer, the most difficult thing might be deciding what to do first. When the snow flies, attention turns to snowmobiling, with the Lincoln Snowhounds Snowmobile Club’s annual sno-cross races. The Club provides up-to-date information on trail conditions and operates a clubhouse

Photo: shelly crosby, courtesy the town of Lincoln

Aerial view of downtown Lincoln.

that gives riders a chance to literally come in from the cold.

In the summer months, snowmobiles and skis make way for rugged, off-road tires. For more than a decade the Penobscot Off-Road Riders have been encouraging a love for the safe use of ATVs and the establishment of an ATV trail system that respects the rights of landowners.

Like their Snowhound counterparts, the Off-Road Riders’ Facebook page is peppered with fundraisers, classes, and social activities.

Summer also brings together sports fishermen and women, throughout the state of Maine and as far as Massachusetts, for the Greater Lincoln Bass Masters.

If your idea of a day well spent tends toward the less adventurous, there are plenty of opportunities to do absolutely nothing but soak up the area’s brilliant landscapes. “You take for granted that it’s all right here,” Lawrence says. “When you’re away from it, you don’t realize how much you miss it…’till you come back.”

The Way Maine Should Be Sure, the Internet and bookstores are filled with lists of “Best Small Towns” and guides for best places to visit, but there’s a simple test that tells you all you need to know about a place. When you’re pulling out of a difficult parking space or waiting to cross the street, count the number of times someone stops and waves to you.

Granted, it sounds silly, but tiny gestures that take no more than a few seconds can speak volumes about how the people of a town treat one another.

That’s certainly the case with Lincoln where, almost without fail, there’s someone ready to lend a hand.

“The people who live here in Lincoln come together and really support one another,” Bill Lawrence says. “Things that, in other communities, might not garner that much attention, here everyone takes part. We had the bicycle coalition of Maine come here to do the first bicycle rodeo three years ago. The gentleman who was coming to head it had never been to Lincoln before. He was planning on maybe having one or two riders show up. There were 25 riders that first year, and now it has grown to 50. Once you do something here in Lincoln, people will pull together to make it a success.”

Brothers Jim and Jon Whitney are the founders and co-directors of the Golden

Key Senior Center. They created their own kind of success in Lincoln, one that is benefiting an often overlooked part of the community.

“My dad passed away four years ago, which caused me to move home to Lincoln,” Jim Whitney says. “At that time, they were building the new senior apartments on the end of Main Street. It caught my eye. My brother and I were watching the progress, and we got wondering, what are these seniors going to do?”

Jon Whitney had prior experience working in a nursing home and knew how important social activities play, so he and Jim set out to create a place where senior citizens could stay involved and active, and give them the opportunity to volunteer and give back to the community themselves.

Now, senior citizens in Lincoln have a place where they can take line dancing lessons and lampshade making classes, play cards, sit and have a cup of coffee, or grab a date for the sock hop that happens the first Saturday of every month. Friday night activities alternate between kara-

oke and a chance for musicians to jam.

The addition of a set of Wii machines has meant the start of a Wii bowling league.

“We do have our slow times,” Jim admits, then he laughs. “That gives us time to sweep the floor.”

Steve Brown is the pastor of Lincoln Christian Fellowship and the chief exploring officer of ExploringLincoln.com, a website he started to showcase things to do, as well as people and places, in the town of Lincoln. Brown talks about the people of Lincoln with the same pride as others when they talk about the lakes.

“More than anything else, it’s the people that make Lincoln what it is,” Brown says. “It’s a beautiful place; but, ultimately, it’s the people that draw people here.

“When I was working in Philadelphia, I used to, once a month, make the trip from Philadelphia up to Lincoln and back down again. I was always struck by the sign when you came into Maine: ‘Maine, the Way Life Should Be.’ I would almost add a rider to that: ‘Lincoln, the way Maine way should be.’”

Women’s Health Mammography If you’re over the age of 40, you should be getting annual mammogram screenings.

Our new machine can give you: • Improved comfort • Faster exams • Quick turn around on results According to the American Cancer Society, for every 8 women in the U.S. who live to be 85, one will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The good news is when breast cancer is found early and confined to the breast, the 5-year relative survival rate today is 99 percent.

Is it time for your mammogram? Contact the PVH Imaging Department.

7 Transalpine Rd • Lincoln • 207-794-7118 • www.pvhme.org

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 47

NOMINATE

an outstanding student athlete or an inspiring high school coach who you think should be featured in Metro Sports!

To make a nomination, scan this QR code or go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/metrosports 48 / Bangor Metro April 2014

metro sports: high school

Diving In

Photo: memorymaker photography

Overcoming her fears and believing in her ability made diver Kayla Bousfield one of the best divers in the state. By Melanie Brooks

K

ayla Bousfield knows that great success comes from setting goals. The John Bapst Memorial High School senior from Glenburn has been diving competitively since she was in sixth grade. Overcoming fears and insecurities has been a big part of her learning curve.

Bousfield’s love of diving sprouted from gymnastics. “I started gymnastics at a young age and stuck with it for many years,” she says. “However, when I was in sixth grade, I realized that I was not advancing my skills, and I decided it was

time to move on and try something new.”

Bousfield had taken a lot of swimming lessons and some diving lessons at the Bangor YMCA. After she quit gymnastics she decided to give diving another try.

“Because of my gymnastics background, I picked up the sport pretty easily.”

She continued to take weekly diving lessons throughout junior high. She joined the diving team at John Bapst High School as a freshman. “My three older siblings went to Bapst, and they liked it a lot,” Bousfield says. “Coming from a very small middle school—there were seven people

in my graduating class—I liked that Bapst was small, but not too small.”

For the first three years of her high school career, the Bapst team trained at the Bangor YMCA for their meets. Going into the 2014 season, the diving team was lacking a coach. “I asked my coach from the YMCA, Soubanh Phanthay, and he graciously agreed to coach both the Bapst and the Orono High School team at the University of Maine pool,” Bousfield says. Even though she didn’t train at the YMCA this past season, she stayed involved. She works as a lifeguard there and offers diving lessons to younger kids.

“I teach private diving lessons and help fill in for the normal weekly class when Coach Phanthay can’t make it.”

But diving hasn’t always been easy for Bousfield. Even though she qualified for the state tournament in diving her freshman year, she wasn’t able to go. “I was not able to complete the reverse dive that I needed to perform in order to attend,” she says. “Even though I was physically able to do the dive, I was afraid to do it because I was worried about getting hurt.”

She made it her goal during her sophomore year to learn to perform the dive and attend the state meet—and she did.

“A very important part in diving, and in any sport, is goal setting,” she says. “I have learned from my coaches that having a set of defined goals with specific requirements and a time frame will lead to success.” It was easy to perform the reverse dive once she believed in her ability, she adds. “That was my breakthrough in diving—realizing that I needed to set goals and overcome my fears.”

Since perfecting the reverse dive, Bousfield has expanded her repertoire.

Her goal for her junior year was to break the school diving record. To do so, she needed to learn harder dives, which included several different variations with one-and-a-half somersaults. “Even though learning these dives was difficult, it made me a better diver,” Bousfield says.

Not only did she break the John Bapst school record, she placed second in the state at the Class B diving tournament.

She spent her senior year perfecting the dives she learned her junior year and broke her previous record by more than 20 points. A few weeks ago, Bousfield placed first at the Class B state meet, ending her high school diving career at the very top of her game. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 49

what’s happening

April

April 12 Paul Reiser Bangor

April 4 The Flannery Brothers Ellsworth

The Flannery Brothers Ellsworth • April 4 Every kid’s favorite band, The Flannery Brothers, sing about vegetables, robots, and pillows. No one can resist their silly and infectious melodies.

Paul Reiser Bangor • April 12 Fans of the hit television series Mad About You won’t want to miss actor Paul Reiser in this solo comedy performance.

50 / Bangor Metro April 2014

April 2 & 30 Taping of The Nite Show Next Generation Theatre, Brewer If you ever wanted to see a live, latenight talk show but didn’t want to travel to New York or Los Angeles, attend a studio-audience filming of The Nite Show with Danny Cashman. Audience members must be at least 14 years old.

5:45 pm. www.theniteshowmaine.com April 4 The Flannery Brothers The Grand, Ellsworth The Grand welcomes The Flannery Brothers as part of their Performing Arts for Children Series. This family friendly band is fun and infectiously entertaining for all ages. You and your children will love it. 10 am. $3.

667-9500 • www.grandonline.org

Photos: (top) courtesy of the gracie theatre; (left) courtesy of the flannery brothers

April 4–6 BDN Maine 2014 Garden Show & Spring Fling Cross Insurance Center, Bangor Turn your gardening dreams to reality.

This expanded show will fill the Cross Insurance Center. Check out a variety of gardenscapes and play in the familyfun area. Fri. and Sat. 10 am–6 pm; Sun. 10 am–4 pm. $7. www.bdnmainegardenshow.com April 4–6 & 11–13 No Exit Rockport Opera House Three protagonists shift allegiances and torment each other in this psychological drama that is as breathtaking now as it was during its first production in 1944.

Fri. & Sat. 7 pm; Sun. 2:30 pm. $20 in advance; $25 at the door.

236-0173 • www.everymanrep.org April 5 Met Opera Live: La Bohème Collins Center for the Arts, Orono The Strand, Rockland The Grand, Ellsworth Giacomo Puccini’s moving story of young love is the most frequently performed opera in Met history, and with good reason. Anita Hartig stars as the frail Mimi in Franco Zeffirelli’s classic production, with Vittorio

Events Grigolo portraying her passionate lover, Rodolfo. 1 pm.

581-1755 www.collinscenterforthearts.com 594-0070 • www.rocklandstrand.com 667-9500 • www.grandonline.org

Theater

Music

Synagogue. 4 pm. $25; $15 youth 18 and under.

594-0070 • www.rocklandstrand.com

April 5 Ellis Paul Camden Opera House Award-winning singer-songwriter Ellis Paul performs in Camden. Paul has released 18 albums and is the recipient of 14 Boston Music Awards. 7:30 pm. $18 in advance; $20 at the door.

470-7066 www.camdenoperahouse.com

April 5 The Coloradas and Kelly Ravin Unity College Center for the Performing Arts The Coloradas formed in 2011 in Portland, Maine. Their debut album is a collection of end-of-the-world bluegrass stomps and sad country ballads. Kelly Ravin sharpened his chops on his grandmother’s guitar. His solo material sums up his upbringing and rural life.

8 pm. $10.

948-7469 • www.uccpa.unity.edu

April 5 R-Rated Hypnotist Show Spectacular Event Center, Bangor Frank Santos Jr. will take volunteers from the audience, hypnotize them, and have them doing all sorts of crazy and often inappropriate things. You will laugh so hard your gut will hurt by the end of the night. Tickets include the show as well as hot and cold appetizers. Doors open at 7 pm; show at 8 pm. $20.

941-8700 www.spectaculareventcenter.com

April 10 NT Live: National Theatre’s War Horse The Strand, Rockland The National Theatre’s original stage production of “War Horse” has become an international smash hit. The story takes audiences on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of France during WWI. 2 pm. Encore at 7 pm. $23 adults; $15 students.

594-0070 • www.rocklandstrand.com

April 5 Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Show & Fundraiser Mount Desert Island High School The Harlem Ambassadors will play a game against 20 of the area’s finest basketball players to benefit Harbor House. The Ambassadors offer a unique brand of Harlem-style basketball, featuring high-flying slam dunks, dazzling ball-handling tricks, and hilarious comedy routines. 6–8 pm.

Tickets $6 and $8 in advance; $8 and $10 on game day; free for kids under 5.

244-3713 • www.harborhousemdi.org

April 11–13 44th Annual Bangor Home Show Cross Insurance Center, Bangor The great Bangor Home Show attracts 20,000 patrons each year and exhibits more than 300 booths. There will be door prizes, giveaways, demonstrations, and seminars. Fri. 1–9 pm; Sat. 10 am–9 pm; Sun. 10 am–5 pm. $7; free for children 12 and under. www.crossinsurancecenter.com

April 6 Music of the Jewish Experience The Strand, Rockland This evening of Jewish music, featuring Rosalie Gerut, Hankus Netsky, Eden MacAdam-Somer, Andre Blickenderfer, and Henry Goldberg, benefits Area Interfaith Outreach. Come listen to Yiddish, Hebrew, and Ladino music. The event is cosponsored by Adas Yoshuron

April 12 Paul Reiser Gracie Theatre, Husson University, Bangor The star of the critically acclaimed NBC series “Mad About You” performs sharpwitted comedy at the Gracie Theatre.

6 & 8:30 pm.

941-7051 • www.gracietheatre.com April 12 The Carolina Chocolate Drops The Strand, Rockland This Grammy Award-winning quartet is

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 51

Events

Theater

showcasing a new lineup that includes cofounder Rhiannon Giddens, multiinstrumentalists Hubby Jenkins and Rowan Corbett, and cellist Malcolm Parson. 7:30 pm. $25.

594-0070 • www.rocklandstrand.com April 12 Lasansky School of Dance Concert Camden Opera House This annual spring performance is not one to miss.

470-7066 www.camdenoperahouse.com April 12 18th Annual Hike for the Homeless Bangor Tell homelessness to take a hike at the annual Hike for the Homeless fundraiser. Proceeds from the unique community event will benefit the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter. www.hikingforthehomeless.org April 12 & 13 Southern Aroostook Trade Show John A. Millar Civic Center, Houlton This annual event gives area vendors a

Music chance to showcase their products to 2,000 attendees. Sat. 9 am–5 pm; Sun. 9 am–3 pm. www.greaterhoulton.com April 13 BSO: Carmina Burana Collins Center for the Arts, Orono The Bangor Symphony Orchestra performs Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, featuring the University of Maine Singers and Oratorio Society. Guest vocalists include Jennifer Barnett (soprano), Andrew Skoog (tenor), and Christopher Sanders (baritone). 3 pm. $16–$40.

581-1755 www.collinscenterforthearts.com April 17 Can’t Scare Me...The Story of Mother Jones Unity College Center for the Performing Arts Mother Jones is brought to life by Obie Award winner Kaiulani Lee. The play is drawn from Mother Jones’s autobiography, her letters, speeches, interviews, and transcripts. 7:30 pm.

948-7469 • www.uccpa.unity.edu

museums Aroostook County Caribou Historical Society Caribou 498-2556 • www.cariboumaine.net Hancock County Abbe Museum Bar Harbor 822-3519 • www.abbemuseum.org George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History Bar Harbor 288-5015 • www.coamuseum.org Knox County Coastal Children’s Museum Rockland 596-0300 www.coastalchildrensmuseum.org Farnsworth Art Museum & Wyeth Center Rockland 596-6457 www.farnsworthmuseum.org 52 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Maine Lighthouse Museum Rockland 594-3301 www.mainelighthousemuseum.com Owls Head Transportation Museum Owls Head 594-4418 • www.ohtm.org Penobscot County Hudson Museum at the University of Maine Orono 581-1901 www.umaine.edu/hudsonmuseum Maine Discovery Museum Bangor 262-7200 www.mainediscoverymuseum.org University of Maine Museum of Art Bangor 561-3350 • www.umma.maine.edu

April 18 2014 Annual Smelt Fry Columbia Falls Fire Department The menu for this annual event features many locally grown, regional foods paired with smelts, deep-fried to perfection. 5–9 pm. www.mainesalmonrivers.org April 19 Kid Fest Cross Insurance Center, Bangor The second annual Kid Fest is sponsored by Townsquare Media, Playland Adventures, and Specialty Sweets. It’s a huge event for the whole family. There will be bounce houses, music, games, dancing, face painting, and much more. 10 am–3 pm.

989-5631 www.crossinsurancecenter.com April 19 City-Wide Historic Tour on Molly the Trolley Presque Isle Hop aboard Molly the Trolley, all decked out for Easter at Riverside Park, and ride to the 1875 Vera Estey House Museum.

Children will have the opportunity to take their picture with the Easter Bunny, the participate in an Easter egg hunt. 9 am, 10:45 am, 1:45 pm, and 2:45 pm.

762-6300 • www.pihistory.org April 19 Pairings 101: Island Inspiration The Farmhouse at Cellardoor Winery, Lincolnville Think tropical flavors and refreshing wine pairings. Cellardoor Winery will take you through the art and science behind food and wine pairing, from aroma identifications to sensory evaluations. 3–5 pm. $35.

763-4478 • www.mainewine.com April 19 Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race Kenduskeag to Bangor The 16.5-mile race from Kenduskeag to Bangor is the largest paddling event in New England and one of the largest in the country. 8:30 am.

942-4490 www.kenduskeagstreamcanoerace.com

April 23 Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers Show: Everybody Loves Pirates Rockland Public Library Follow the story of a girl named Lucy and her goofy friend, Little Chucky, as they discover a treasure map and set out to find their fortune. 2 pm.

594-0310 • www.rocklandlibrary.org April 24 EPICMaine Eastern Maine Community College, Bangor This unique career exploration event will help young adults discover possible future careers. 10 am–2 pm.

974-9236 • www.tricountylwib.org April 24 Hancock County Business Conference & and Trade Show Ellsworth Middle School Network and marketing will be the primary focus of this year’s conference, with the goal to bring together resources needed to create new businesses and help existing businesses become more profitable. The event is sponsored in part by Bangor Savings Bank and FairPoint Communications.

667-5584 • www.hancockbiz.org April 25 Comedy Show Spectacular Event Center, Bangor Christine Hurley and Mike Prior will keep you in stitches all night long. Tickets include hot and cold appetizers. Doors open at 7:30 pm; show at 8 pm. $15.

941-8700 www.spectaculareventcenter.com April 25 Le Vent Du Nord The Strand, Rockland This Quebecoise quartet have become compelling Francophone ambassadors, winning critical acclaim and adoration across Europe and North America.

The group has a rich and varied instrumentation, well-polished musical arrangements, and wonderful vocals.

7:30 pm. $22 in advance; $25 at the door.

594-0070 • www.rocklandstrand.com April 26 Met Opera Live: Cosi Fan Tutte Collins Center for the Arts, Orono

The Strand, Rockland The Grand, Ellsworth Mozart’s beloved opera about testing the ties of love features a youthful cast of Met Opera stars, including Susanna Phillips, Isabel Leonard, Matthew Polenzani, Rodion Pogossov, and Danielle de Niese.

1 pm.

581-1755 www.collinscenterforthearts.com 594-0070 • www.rocklandstrand.com 667-9500 • www.grandonline.org

April 26 Guided Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Presque Isle Presque Isle Join the Presque Isle Historical Society for a guided two-hour walking tour of historic downtown Presque Isle.

Weather permitting, the tour begins and ends at the Vera Estey House Museum, at 16 Third Street, and covers approximately two miles and more than 30 historic sites.

10 am. $2.

762-1151 • www.pihistory.org www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 53

Events

Theater

April 26 HOPE Festival New Balance Student Recreation Center, University of Maine, Orono The annual HOPE festival will feature juggler Zachary Fields, music by Devon Cole and Inanna Sisters in Rhythm, and keynote speaker Sherri Mitchell. The festival also includes its organizational fair, which hosts more than 60 vendors.

Music 11 am–4 pm.

942-9343 • www.peacectr.org April 26 Park Day Cleanup Project Fort Knox and Penobscot Narrows Observatory, Prospect Held in conjunction with the Civil War Preservation Trust and the History Channel, volunteers are needed to

business in hermon

A GREAT TOWN TO WORK

rake, sweep, and pick up winter debris.

Volunteers who assist with the removal of winter debris will receive a T-shirt and a tour of the fort. 10 am–12 pm.

469-6553 www.fortknox.maineguide.com April 26 & 27 Top O’ Maine Trade Show Madawaska Multi-Purpose Complex The largest and most well-attended trade show north of Bangor features more than 80 exhibitors displaying their products and services. All weekend long, attendees can enjoy food, prizes, and giveaways. www.greatermadawaskachamber.com April 27 Calidore String Quartet Collins Center for the Arts, Orono The Calidore String Quartet are grand prize winners of the Fischoff, Coleman, Yellow Springs, and Chesapeake National Chamber Music Competitions.

Their program includes Beethoven Op. 18 No. 1, Golijov’s “Tenebrea,” and Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden.”

581-1755 www.collinscenterforthearts.com

Have a big event you’d like publicized in Bangor Metro’s This is Maine Summer Guide?

Hermon is home to some of the largest and most thriving business parks in the area, which include Freedom Commerce Park, Coldbrook Business Park, and Pinewood Business Park.

Whether you’re looking to relocate, expand or start a new business, we’re here to provide you with the assistance needed to make your business goals a reality.

www.hermon.net

54 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Grantron@aol.com

947-8595

Send the details to:

thisismaine@bangormetro.com

by APRIL 25 for inclusion in our June/July issue.

1-800-648-8335

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 55

food file

Cooking is a tradition for Susan Faloon’s family. Her passion for all thing culinary means her friends and family eat very, very well. By Melanie Brooks

56 / Bangor Metro April 2014

“W

Photos: melanie brooks

The More the Merrier

elcome to the Faloon Saloon! Pull up a chair,” says Susan Faloon, a fiery red head who is busy prepping her multi-course meal. Faloon and her daughter Hailey Crabtree, a professional wedding photographer, are decked out in adorable aprons for the occasion. The menu they prepared is coming to fruition.

“It took mom forever to decide what she was going to make tonight,” Crabtree says. Faloon loves to entertain. But when she has friends over, they all want her to create their favorite signature dishes. “I love trying new things,” Faloon says. “It wouldn’t be a party without four different courses!”

Faloon grew up in Howland and was always creating in the kitchen. “When I was a little kid, I used to make Christmas trees out of my spinach,” she says. She attributes her love of multi-course meals to experiences dining with family at the now shuttered Oronoka restaurant in Orono. The owners were known for bringing out plates and plates of appetizers before the meals, leaving many diners loosening their belts before the main course arrived.

Faloon learned the basics of cooking from her mother, who was a home economics teacher. She experimented and expanded from there. “In high school my friends and I used to create elaborate dinner parties with five courses and get dressed up,” she says. She recalls one such party that had a Hawaiian theme.

“We aren’t fancy, just traditionally tasteful!”

Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound® “We cooked volcano mashed potatoes and Baked Alaska,” she says.

Faloon, who works as the communications supervisor for Emera Maine, graduated college with her journalism degree, then signed up to take a couple of classes in culinary arts at what is now Eastern Maine Community College. It was something she always wanted to do, and she loved it.

“I always cook for people at work, and they tell me I missed my calling,” Faloon says.

Her kitchen creativity wasn’t lost on her three children. “I now appreciate how mom used to tell us that her kitchen wasn’t a restaurant,” Crabtree says. “I can now look in my pantry and make dinner from scratch—and it’s usually pretty good.”

Food has always been at the center of Faloon’s family gatherings. Faloon, her mother, and her sister have a catering license. They created the entire menu for Faloon’s son’s wedding last summer in Calais. Crabtree remembers helping the women during catering jobs when she was in junior high. The trio doesn’t do nearly as many functions as they did in the past, but they still like the challenge that comes with feeding a group of people.

Faloon has a couple of signature main dishes: one being the lobster macaroni and cheese (shared here) and the other

has provided the freshest Maine lobsters, crabmeat, clams and mussels for over 50 years. No linen table cloths or fancy glasses, just good, old fashioned lobster fare.

• Open Memorial Day to Columbus Day • Closed on Sundays!

• At the bridge onto Mt. Desert Island • Mail order available year-round

1237 Bar Harbor Road • Trenton, Maine • 207-667-2977 www.trentonbridgelobster.com

Live and Learn on the edge!

Left: Susan Faloon and Hailey Crabtree.

This photo: Faloon breaks apart fresh lobster meat for her mac n' cheese.

New England’s Only Public Environmental Liberal Arts College

www.machias.edu • 1-888-468-6866 Lodging • Fine Dining • Irish Pub

Eclectic Dining from a Classic Kitchen Winter Getaway Special $155 Room for two, breakfast, and all the dinner you can eat

OPEN ALL YEAR www.brooklininn.com • 22 Reach Rd, Brooklin

207 359 2777

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 57

food file is butternut squash risotto. “Whenever I see these two dishes on a menu in restaurants, I always try them to compare to what I make,” she says. “I find that they are usually bland to appeal to everyone.

It’s amazing what a little salt and pepper can do. It can totally change the taste of a dish.” It’s a rare occasion when Faloon

finds that her restaurant meals rival the ones she creates in her own kitchen.

The meals at the “Faloon Saloon” are more often than not served with wine.

The walls of the kitchen are plastered with wine labels and wine advertisements Faloon cut out of magazines. It’s unique and cozy, and the seat at the bar

is the perfect place to watch the action.

Faloon and Crabtree are quick to laugh; they truly enjoying spending time cooking together. Meals made in Faloon’s kitchen are not hurried. They’re created with love and attention to detail.

If you’re on a diet, be prepared to take a night off.

recipes

Spicy Shrimp Cocktail 1 lb. jumbo shrimp 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped Juice of one lime 2 Tbsp. olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients and place in container to marinate for several hours.

Serve cold.

Lobster Mac n’ Cheese 4 Tbsp. butter 1 med. onion, chopped 1 med. carrot finely chopped 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. flour ¼ cup Marsala wine 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 1 pkg. cream cheese 8 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded 8 ounces sharp white cheddar, shredded 1 pound pasta elbows 1 pound fresh lobster meat 2 Tbsp. butter (for sautéing lobster) 2 Tbsp. Marsala (for sautéing lobster) 4 Tbsp. butter (for crouton topping) 2 garlic cloves (for crouton topping) 2 cups cubed crusty bread (for crouton topping)

58 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Sauté onions, carrot, and celery until tender. Add flour and let cook for several minutes. Add ¼ cup Marsala and cook several minutes. Add cream, milk, and cheese. Lower heat and stir often until all cheese is melted and smooth.

Meanwhile, cook elbows until tender and add to the sauce. Sauté lobster meat in 2 Tbsp. of butter and 2 Tbsp.

Marsala. Add to mac n’ cheese mixture, leaving some pieces to place on the top.

Pour mixture into large baking dish. Melt butter and add chopped garlic, cooking several minutes over medium heat. Cut bread into cubes and coat with the garlic butter. Place crouton mixture on top of mac n’ cheese mixture, and bake at 350 degrees, until brown and bubbling (about 30 minutes).

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kitchen confidential Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Bangor.

What is your first food memory?

Picking fresh vegetables in my grandfather’s garden in Bucksport. He grew a little bit of everything: corn, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, you name it. He grew up during the Great Depression, so he and my grandmother would can a lot of foods to save. I’d help him grow and pick the vegetables, and grandma would do the canning.

What are some of your early cooking experiences?

Cooking salmon by the campfire at Chesuncook Lake in Piscataquis County.

There’s an island in the middle of the lake where my father, grandfather, some friends, and I would pitch a tent and camp and fish for a couple of days at a time.

Any family influences on your style and taste?

I love to cook with fresh herbs and vegetables, along with fresh seafood. My family had a camp in Milbridge, where we would go and get fresh seafood.

Sometimes we’d go out on a lobster boat to catch lobsters.

Where did you study or apprentice?

I worked under many great chefs from Maine to Phoenix, Arizona to Hilton Head, South Carolina and back again.

Chef Jamie Cross puts his green thumb to good use in the kitchen. By Melanie Brooks

60 / Bangor Metro April 2014

What do you consider to be your pivotal career move?

Moving to Phoenix, Arizona when I was 21 years old. It opened my eyes to the cooking world. I didn’t know that chefs were expected to have their own knives.

When I worked at Geaghan’s and Pilot’s Grill in Bangor before moving to Arizona, they provided the knives for us to

Photos: mark mccall

The Lucerne Inn

When did you realize you were a chef?

I have always known I was meant to be a chef, even as a young boy. Growing up I cooked dinner for myself a lot.

I would get home from school and my mom would work late. I was always the one to make biscuits because my mom couldn’t make them. We’d actually play hockey with her biscuits! When I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, my mom would call me for cooking advice.

Opposite page: Jamie Cross.

This photo: Fennel crusted salmon cakes.

use. My first sous chef in Phoenix took me under his wing and sold me his old knife set.

When did The Lucerne Inn open?

The Lucerne Inn opened in 1814. We’re celebrating our 200th birthday this year!

I’ve been working there since August, 2013. Before that, I was at Simone’s in Ellsworth and MacLeod’s in Bucksport.

What do you love about your location?

The view! I love that the inn is surrounded by the lake and the golf course.

What is your favorite ingredient to work with?

Anything that I grow myself. This past year I grew everything, from corn, to zucchini, to potatoes, to pumpkins, and fresh herbs. I like to buy heirloom seeds and grow things that people don’t normally grow anymore.

What is the dish we are featuring?

Fennel crusted salmon cakes in caper aioli. This recipe was originally created to use up the salmon scraps left over from cutting fillets and steaks. Now I

have to cook them as a side to keep up with the demand!

Your favorite restaurant?

I like Geaghan’s Pub. I worked there as a young man and have know the Geaghan family my whole life. I always know it will be fresh and great every time.

Least favorite job-related task?

Cleaning up after myself on a busy night.

The last time you really surprised yourself in the kitchen?

Whenever I bring in fresh ingredients from my garden to create and develop unique menu items.

baked potato.

What do you love most about your job?

I love making our guests happy. It makes all the hard work and effort worth it when a guest comes to me and says that everything was wonderful. I truly try to make people happy, and I immensely enjoy what I do.

more info The Lucerne Inn 2517 Main Road Dedham 800-325-5123 Hours: 5 pm–9 pm all week long.

What does a perfect day off look like?

Relaxing in my garden, maybe trout fishing with my dog Saqqara, and spending time with my daughter Sage. I also love to cook dinner for a special person in my life.

What would you want your last meal to be?

Lots of lobster and clams with a loaded

Accolades: Voted “Best Brunch” by Bangor Metro readers in 2010. Voted “Most Romantic” by Bangor Metro readers in 2013.

Sample Menu Items: Bacon wrapped scallops, sirloin steak, duck breast.

Directions: 2517 Main Road, Dedham. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 61

per spectives

Brenda Ferguson

62 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Brenda Ferguson is a self-taught artist, living and working in Dixmont. She uses soft pastels and oil paints to create images inspired by the simple beauty in every day objects. “I try to infuse each painting with an interesting perspective, unexpected color, and light,�

Ferguson says. Her work has been featured in American Artist magazine as well as in the two-story public display window at Hollywood Casino in Bangor. Find more about Ferguson at brendaferguson. blogspot.com.

Headshot by Doug Ferguson

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 63

maine woods & waters

N

Garden Withdrawal You don’t know how important growing a vegetable garden is until you no longer have enough land to dig. By Brad Eden

ormally at this time of year I am anticipating the arrival of seed catalogs in the mail, particularly Johnny’s Selected Seeds from Albion, Maine. Sure, they have a website where you can order online, but I prefer the tactile experience of flipping though catalog pages like I do sowing seeds in the soil.

Growing vegetables has always been an important part of the Eden household, equally as essential as procuring wild game. There is something amiss when I serve venison or wild turkey and the vegetables on the plate weren’t also grown and harvested by me. The circle just doesn’t feel complete.

But, alas, I have little ground to garden where we are renting. Our old house was on eight acres and was a working organic farm before we purchased it. Granted, it hadn’t been actively cultivated for a few years, but the acreage was still ripe for tilling. With some minor repairs the two greenhouses were back in operation.

I was rather smug after I started to garden on that property. The soil was still prime, and vegetables grew remarkably well and bountifully. So much so that my kids set up a vegetable stand out in front of our house to market the overflow. I tilled in leaves, chicken manure from the laying hens, and compost from kitchen scraps, but not religiously. Each year, after several passes with the trusty Troybilt tiller, I would sow seeds and plug in starters from the greenhouse, and all that was left besides mulching was sitting back and watching the garden grow.

I rotated crops every year, occasionally

raised bed behind the rental house installed by a previous tenant. It was an embarrassing excuse for a garden plot, but I had nothing else to work.

My old workhorse of a tiller was on injured reserve, its carburetor gummed up with ethanol, so I turned a few bags of composted manure into the bed by hand. I planted a few staples—cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes—and even managed to squeeze in a small mixed block of lettuce, radish, and carrots. The results were, in a word, dismal. Aside from a few stunted cukes and some golf ball-sized potatoes, all I had to eat was humble pie.

We are heading into our second summer at the rental, and I’m determined to get my green thumb back, even if that means growing vegetables in five-gallon buckets on the back deck. When we do buy a house again, a major “must have” will be ample space for a large garden.

Until then, you’ll probably see me lurking around at the farmers markets this summer.

Here is a handy planting chart that served me well during my years of gardening in Maine. Even with “climate change,” adhering to these dates will alleviate the need to replant multiple times.

April 15-30: Plant hardy vegetables that can tolerate cold and frost, such as are peas, spinach, radishes, and onions.

A gardener can be proud if he is eating peas on the Fourth of July.

May 1-15: Lettuce, beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and potatoes can be planted now. Potatoes aren’t particularly hardy, but they won’t break the surface for a couple weeks.

May 16-31: Corn, beans, squashes, and pumpkin seeds can be sowed, since they won’t pop up until after the last expected frost date. Avoid planting any starter plants.

June 1-15: Now that the soil has warmed up, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers can be planted. I prefer starter plants rather than seeds. While your neighbors’ plants are struggling, yours will catch up and thrive.

added some composted manure, and side dressed some nutrient needy vegetables with 5-10-10 fertilizer, but that was it. The veggies just kept coming.

Last summer was our first in our rental house, which is located on a postage stamp-sized plot of land. As winter started to release its icy grip, the seed catalogs began to arrive, and so did my seasonal hankering to get my hands dirty. I missed all that workable land at the old place. I noticed a thin strip of

64 / Bangor Metro April 2014

Brad Eden is an artist, writer, and registered Maine Master Guide.

Photo: Martin Poole/Thinkstock.com

Outside of a few stunted cukes, and some golf ball sized potatoes, all I had to eat was humble pie.

savvy seniors

Photo: Robert Mizerek/thinkstock.com

Protecting Your Identity Freeze would be identity thieves and financial exploiters in their tracks.

By Jane Margesson

O

lder adults in Maine are increasingly the target of financial exploitation. Financial industry research indicates that most investment fraud victims are between 55 and 65 years of age. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as your Social Security number, your credit card number, or your bank information to get credit or make purchases for themselves in your name. Victims of identity theft not only risk losing money

but may also face difficulty getting credit or loans. The results of identity theft can be costly, and it may take years to reestablish your credit rating.

Many older adults have sound finances and a solid credit history, making them a prime target for thieves. For this reason, thieves may design their schemes to manipulate older adults. Often, they will try to solicit information or money by providing a fabricated story.

Here is a good example: AARP in Maine recently received information www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 65

savvy seniors concerning fraudulent telephone calls made to residents from scammers claiming to be AARP representatives. The scammers said that in order to send out the residents’ new AARP card, personal information needed to be verified, including a telephone number, address, and personal banking information. (AARP does not ask for personal banking information from its members.) You may also have heard about other schemes such as the Grandparent Scam, where fraudulent calls are made to consumers regarding a grandchild in financial trouble or requiring bail to get out of jail. These schemes use victims’ emotions against them so they are too distracted to question the validity of the stories.

What should you do to protect yourself?

• Do not give out personal information, such as your Social Security number, credit card number, or bank information to anyone you do not know or who is not from a confirmed, repu-

table source.

• If you are unsure about a person’s claimed identity, do not give them any information.

• Do not leave home with your Social Security card unless you know that you will need it.

• Keep a close watch on your bank statements and credit card bills. Call your bank or credit card company if you notice anything suspicious, such as a charge that you do not recognize.

• Clear your login information if you make online purchases, especially if you are on a public computer.

In Maine, we are fortunate to have one of the strongest identity theft prevention tools available. It is called the “security freeze.” You can “freeze” your credit reports and make them inaccessible to anyone but you. Why does this work? Without access to your credit report, identity thieves cannot open new accounts in your name. This is the most effective way to protect yourself from

identity theft and fraud. Turning on the freeze means that only you, as the consumer, can access your personal information. If you choose to “unfreeze” your account in order to take out a loan or apply for a credit card, you must contact credit bureaus in advance and request that your account be unfrozen.

Consumers in Maine pay a small fee for freezing and unfreezing their credit reports, but it is well worth it considering the level of fraud protection the security freeze provides.

For more information, contact the Maine Office of Securities at www.maine. gov or call 1-877-624-8551 or 207-6248551. Please let your friends and family know about the security freeze and report any suspected fraud to your local authorities. By being informed and staying alert, we can all play a part in preventing fraud in Maine.

Jane Margesson is the communications director for AARP Maine.

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last word

Feeling Fine in the Big City Writer Chris Quimby throws caution to the wind on a visit to the Big City.

By Chris Quimby

Chris Quimby is a husband, father, Christian comedian, writer, and graphic designer from Brooks. Visit him on the web at chris quimby.com or nachotree.com.

68 / Bangor Metro April 2014

image: Darumo/thinkstock.com

I

live in the small town of Brooks. One of the main features in our downtown area is a red streetlight that blinks on and off repeatedly. There is also a nice restaurant and very little threat any nuclear warheads are purposely aimed at us. It’s not that our foreign enemies possess any special affinity for our population; it would simply be an inefficient use of their resources.

Recently, my wife and I traveled to the “Big City” and visited the Bangor Mall, hoping to see people we know and marvel at how young the people look who are the age we were when we last trod those Halls of Retail.

My intent to keep my wallet in my pocket was dealt a heavy blow early in our visit, after we spied the massage chairs. Please understand that I have a complicated relationship with these chairs. For years I’ve been telling anyone who would listen that I cannot fully enjoy them, given their location.

I am an expressive person: I love to sing, talk, burp, and write.

Nobody should ever assume my silence is a lack for something to say. I often must force myself to stop talking, understanding it’s polite to let others speak. And because it’s good to periodically let some oxygen back into the room.

Given my nature, if left alone in a massage chair I would likely generate sounds and statements of affirmation that might make people confused or uncomfortable. After all, it feels good to get a back massage, and I would feel compelled to express my satisfaction audibly.

I suspect, however, Bangor Mall staff would frown on me registering my delight in unvarnished fashion. Shoppers would either be frightened or amused. And the knowledge of this atmosphere, even with my eyes closed, would cause me to be uncomfortable, as well.

This is why I’ve always been confused why the chairs are placed in the open. Shouldn’t there at least be a curtain surrounding those pleasure seats? Even a novelty photo booth provides privacy, allowing users the enjoyment of not making a public spectacle.

Some things in life simply do not make sense. I get that.

This is likely the reason someone sharing a restaurant table might express a desire for you to eat with your mouth closed, keep your elbows off the table, then pull a disgusting, worn rag from their front pocket and blow their nose forcefully right over the table, honking like an injured goose.

During this trip to the mall I decided to toss my inhibitions out the door—at least a few feet beyond the nearest kiosk—and enjoy the experience. I closed my eyes and pictured myself alone on the beach, as my wife and I enjoyed three minutes of being ministered to by chairs we only recently met.

The experience was quite enjoyable, and mall cops were not sent to charge us with public indecency.

Not long after, we headed back to Brooks, relaxed from just one of the many wonders Bangor offers to bless these aging folk. It takes very little to please us, as was evidenced by our $2 investment. We passed the blinking red light through the center of our hometown and continued home.

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unsung hero

Art for All

Mary Laury, Winter Harbor, executive director for Schoodic Arts for All

70 / Bangor Metro April 2014

to share their great ideas with me, and we talk about a way to make them happen.

I think a hero is a person who does his or her work quietly and effectively.

They make a small difference to their small place in the world. This great arts organization has touched the lives of so

many people in our small community. It has given so much exposure to so many different types of media in the arts, from pottery, to fiber art, to music, to jewelry, to writing, to painting. I’m so lucky to be immersed in the arts and to work with so many creative people.

Photo: david brown/northstar photography

I

have been involved with the Winter Harbor nonprofit, Schoodic Arts for All, since its inception in 1999. I was invited to teach watercolor painting and drawing, as well as ballroom, swing, and Latin dance at the first Schoodic Arts Festival. It was a fabulous event, with workshops and performances every day for two weeks. I was encouraged to visit and participate in some of the other workshops, which prompted me to want to become more involved. I became Schoodic Arts for All’s executive director the following year. Fifteen years later I’m still at the helm of this wonderful organization that has expanded to three creative hubs. This work has been the most fulfilling work of my career.

There have been many great moments in my career that were lightening bolts of inspiration. In the beginning, Schoodic Arts for All was nothing but a great program. We ran the operations out of a spare bedroom. We were eventually offered stewardship of a historic performance hall that we revitalized and filled with performances and exhibits.

We were gifted a lovely art studio and we filled it with art workshops and supplies. We were offered the tenancy of the former town office, and it is becoming a creative center for artists to gather, work, teach, and sell. These moments are tremendous votes of confidence in the work of Schoodic Arts for All by the people of the Schoodic Peninsula.

On a tiny budget in a tiny town, we have built an arts center that is recognized all over Maine for good practices and impactful programming. There is no end to the possibilities that present themselves. So many people have called

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2014

home +garden guide

Gardening 101 Landscaping with Native Maine Stone Spring Cleaning Tips Photo: Karamysh/thinkstock.com

home + garden guide

Growing a garden can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! A little planning and foresight can make all the difference. By Melanie Brooks

T

his time of year, those among us who love to garden are getting itchy. We’re ready to get our hands and knees dirty in the soil. But before charging out the door with spade in hand, there are several things to take into consideration. Kate Garland, a horticulture professional with The University of Maine Cooperative Extension, shares tips on how to get the most of Maine’s growing season.

Starting your seeds Experienced gardeners have already found their perfect plot, but new gardeners need to carefully choose where to sow their seeds. You’ll want to find a space that gets about six to eight hours of full sunlight each day. “Anything that produces fruit needs about eight hours of

74 / Bangor Metro April 2014

direct sunlight a day to thrive,” Garland says. If your landscape is shady, you may have to forgo the traditional garden and opt for containers that you can place in sunny spots.

If you decide to use containers for gardening, Garland suggests getting a good potting mix. Soil that contains too much clay will restrict root growth, which will restrict shoot growth.

If you are planning to start your seeds inside, check out the chart on the next page to find the frost-free date in your area. You don’t want to start your seeds too early, especially if you do not have optimal growing conditions inside. “Starting your seedlings too early increases the risk of disease issues before they even go into the garden,” Garland says.

To find out when to start your seedlings,

Photo: Yuriy Sukhovenko/Thinkstock.com

gardening 101

Planting growing your seeds The first warm days of spring can be tempting for gardeners to get started.

But if you plant your seedlings too early, they can die in a frost. All that hard work for nothing. You’ve spent too much time cultivating your seedlings to lose them to foul weather, so take a look at the chart below to find out when is the safest time to plant your seeds and seedlings. If you’re a gambler, you might start planting early. But if you want to be assured of success, wait a bit.

Make sure the temperature of the soil is warm enough to promote growth.

One way to help extend the short Maine growing season is by using a plastic mulch. Not only does it warm the soil, it conserves moisture and inhibits weed growth. Plastic mulches are easy to install. You will want to water and smooth out the soil before you cover it with the plastic mulch. Stretch the plastic tightly over the soil and bury the edges. When you are ready to plant, cut or burn holes in the plastic, and plant your seeds or seedlings right into the holes. You will

take last year’s spring frost date and count backwards with the number of weeks the seeds take to germinate, as shown on the chart below.

Once your seedlings are ready to head outside, start acclimating them.

Seedlings grown in your comfortable house aren’t quite ready for the harsh Maine spring and are susceptible to transplant shock. Hardening them off gives them a better chance at success.

Think about it: Your seedlings haven’t had to deal with wind and rain. Their stems are weak. You want to introduce your seedlings to the outdoors in such a way that you allow them to gradually become stronger.

Put your seedlings in a sunny spot outside that is shielded from harsh winds for one to two weeks. On the first day, put them outside for an hour; on the second day, two hours. Continue the progression until, at the end of the week, you’re leaving them outside for seven hours at a time. At that point, your plants are ready to be transplanted.

Broccoli

Cabbage

Celery

Cucumber

Eggplant

Lettuce

Melons

Onion

Pepper

Squash

Tomato

Crops that should be started inside

Days the seed will take to germinate:

7–10

4–10

9–21

6–10

6–10

6–8

6–8

7–10

9–14

4–6

6–12

Optimum soil temperature:

50– 85° F

50– 85° F

50– 65° F

65– 85° F

65– 85° F

50– 65° F

65– 85° F

65– 85° F

65– 85° F

65– 85° F

65– 85° F

5–7

5–7

10–12

4

6–9

3­–5

3–4

8

6–8

3–4

5–7

Weeks from germination to transplanting:

Bangor

Belfast

Bridgewater

Caribou

Corinna

Eastport

Fort Kent

Grand Lake Stream

Houlton

Jackman

Jonesboro

Millinocket

Presque Isle

Van Buren

Probable last frost dates

Risky

April 18

April 27

May 11

May 3

May 6

April 17

May 16

May 3

May 18

May 13

April 27

May 2

May 8

May 15

Safer

May 23

May 22

June 17

May 27

May 30

May 16

June 9

May 29

June June 15 17

May 30

May 25

June June 3 13

Information from The University of Maine Cooperative Extension www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 75

home + garden guide

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Harvesting your produce Keep your seed packets handy throughout the growing process, as they contain a lot of useful info, such as the number of days the plant will need before harvesting. While it’s not an exact science—environmental conditions will have an impact on how quickly the crops develop—it’s a good guideline.

photo: gpointstudio/thinkstock.com

Kitchen, Bath & Home

also water your plants through these holes.

Make sure you carefully read your seed packets before planting. Note how long the seedlings will take to grow inside before they are ready to be planted outdoors. This can take anywhere from four to 12 weeks.

If you buy seedlings from a nursery, Garland suggests looking for relatively young seedlings that have a good green color. No fruit should be developing. If there are flowers, pick them off before you transplant. “The more energy a plant spends on growing the flower and fruit, the less it spends on root development,” Garland says. “Pick off the flowers before transplanting so that the roots can grow strong.”

Garland also suggests not trying to save seedlings that are dying. “Time and space in many gardens is precious,” she says. Let unhealthy seedlings die off and spend time cultivating the healthy ones that have the best chance for production.

The following crops do not need to be started as seedlings and can be planted right into the soil of your garden: peas, potatoes, beets, carrots, and radishes.

Garland has a great tip when planting your carrots. “Because the carrot seeds are so small, I always plant them with radish seeds,” she says. The radish seeds germinate and grow much faster than the carrots, marking the row to where the carrots are, and help aerate the soil and keep it moist. “I pick these sacrificial radish shoots early and use them in salads,” Garland says.

Vining crops, such as pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers don’t necessarily need to be started as seedlings, though many gardeners do. Garland suggests planting the seedlings along with a couple of seeds, just in case the seedling doesn’t survive. That way you have a higher probability of produce at the end of the season.

This information is also helpful when determining if there are enough growing days left for a second planting. “I try to practice as much succession planting as possible in my own garden,” Garland says. “For example, my radish crop is typically ready after four weeks. This is a great time to plant a second crop.

Beets are another example of a crop that doesn’t take all season to develop. I plant a second batch as soon as the first is harvested. If the season is short and the beets don’t fully develop, as least I can eat the greens.”

You will want to check your growing vegetables on a regular basis. Sometimes there will be a cucumber hiding under the leaves you didn’t see before.

You don’t want to let your produce over ripen. Bigger isn’t always better. The best time of day to harvest is in the morning, when the veggies are crisp. If you can’t get to them in the morning, wait until the late afternoon when the sun’s heat isn’t as strong.

If all of this seems daunting, start small. “One of the biggest mistakes I see gardeners make is that they bite off more than they can chew,” Garland says.

“A big space can be overwhelming. Start small and have a successful year, then gradually expand.” Another mistake she sees is people not wanting to ask questions. “That’s what we’re here for,” Garland says. Whether it’s a question on soil or pest maintenance, Garland assures that the UMaine Cooperative Extension is always ready to answer questions and help. “I’d rather have someone ask me a question about pesticides before they spend the money and use one, only to find out they chose the wrong thing and lost their crops.”

the crop won’t come back in the spring.

Another great way to protect your garden is to cover it with the leaves you rake from your yard. Shredding the leaves before using them as a cover creates a great compost and keeps you from having to bag your leaves for curbside pick up.

If you’d like to know more about gardening, consider enrolling in the Uni-

versity of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers program. In exchange for 40-plus hours of in-depth training in the art and science of horticulture, trainees volunteer 40 hours of work and training in community gardening programs and activities. It’s a great way to learn more and share what you learn with your community.

After the harvest Just because your crops are done growing doesn’t mean you can neglect your garden. “Your garden should always be actively growing something,” Garland says. Planting short-season vegetable crops in late August is a great way to get more out of your garden.

Garland suggests planting a crop in late summer that have a root system that will add organic matter to your soil. She plants feed oats in her home garden in mid- to late September. They grow about three to four inches before the frost, and

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 77

home + garden guide

native maine stone You don’t need to look far for beautiful stones to accent your outdoor living area.

By Justin DiFrederico

78 / Bangor Metro April 2014

that are made into kitchen countertops, sinks, floor tile, and veneer. Other quarries produce landscape wall stone, patio stone, and steps. No matter what you are looking for, Maine has a stone type that will fit your needs!

Reclaimed stone is another popular use for native Maine stone. Mainer’s have used hand-cut granite, brick, and slate for decades. Before house foundations were built using concrete, granite was the most popular material choice. Reclaimed granite foundation pieces are now commonly used for rustic steps, posts, or edging.

These foundation pieces were not saw cut and often have exposed drill marks and weathered faces. Granite cobblestones are another common material that have been reclaimed from New England. A great deal of cobblestones were quarried in the Bangor metro area. Some people were lucky enough to get their hands on them, using them for walkways, patios, and edging.

Boston’s “Big Dig” also produced a great deal of reclaimed cobblestones. Customers have used for these for driveways or other accents in the landscape.

In the last decade, residential landscaping has changed from a small concrete or asphalt walkway and patio to grand outdoor living areas. These functional outdoor living rooms can be used for three or four seasons. More consumers are asking about and using local native stone. Whether it is newly quarried from the state or reclaimed

and re-purposed, each stone in your project will have a story behind it.

Justin DiFrederico is the general manager of Granville Stone & Hearth in Holden.

photos: courtesy justin difrederico/granville stone & hearth

L

iving in Maine, we are blessed with a beautiful, natural landscape everywhere we turn. A big part of the natural landscape are the hidden gems many people do not pay enough attention too: native stones!

Depending where you are in this great state, you can discover many different types of local stone, whether granite, slate, limestone, or fieldstone. Maine is scattered with old quarries and many untapped resources that can supply you with the type of stone you are looking for. Quarrying stone used to be a very common occupation in the late 1800s. Most of the small and large scale quarries scattered all over the state are currently inactive, but a few of these quarries remain open or have been reopened under new ownership and are looking to market the beautiful stone that is still readily available.

How is all of this native Maine stone being used in the landscape? As the availability of native stone increases, its use in the landscape increases as well.

Homeowners, landscape designers, architects, and contractors are all finding unique ways to incorporate native Maine stone in their projects. Local stone quarries are able to provide a Maine stone that is able to serve many different purposes in the landscape. Whether you are looking to build a natural looking stone wall, a gorgeous natural stone patio, rustic steps for the front of your house, or just some accent boulders, there is a local Maine stone that will work for your project.

Most stone is quarried and palletized for ease of transportation and installation. From the basic old farmers wall to the premium granite landscape stone, there is demand for many different looks and varieties. Slate is a native Maine stone that is commonly used in the landscape.

Most of the slate comes from Piscataquis County. There are still active quarries in the region producing high-end products

spring cleaning tips

By Melanie Brooks

A

ccording to my friend Nancy Kureth, who is better at spring cleaning than anyone else I know, it’s the time of year to get out your step stool and get ready to move furniture around. Here are some of her tips on how to thoroughly give your house the spring cleaning it deserves.

Start With the Fans. Clean your ceiling fans first. If you do them last, then all of the dust will fall from the fans onto your nice, clean floor and furniture. If you clean these fans on a regular basis, a simple dusting will do. If not, you’ll need to get a damp rag and soap cleaner to scrub off the built up grime and dust.

Kitchen fans will require the most work, as grime from oil and steam will need to be cleaned off.

Doors and Baseboards. Tackle the doors next. Make sure you clean the jambs and the trim. Be sure to dust the top of the trim as well as the top of the door. You’ll also want to clean all the fingerprints off the door. A magic sponge works wonders for this tedious task. Make sure you also wipe down your walls. You’d be surprised how dirty they get! Start from one end of the house and work your way to the other.

Windows. Cleaning windows is a big job. The window wells and sills will be dirty from the fall and winter. You will need to clean these with a rag and soapy water. You can do all of these on one day, then clean the actual panes the next.

Move the Furniture. Move all the furniture away from the walls so that you can thoroughly vacuum or mop under the furniture and clean the baseboards. While you’re at it, vacuum under all the cushions, too. If the furniture is looking dingy, remove the cushion covers for cleaning or, if that is not an option, spot clean. You can put the cushions and pillows outside to dry on a sunny spring day.

Rugs. After you vacuum area rugs, take them outside for a shake. Sand and dust can go right through these rugs, so you are bound to have residue on the floor where your rug was. Sand and dirt are abrasive and can be harmful to your floors.

Closets and Cupbords. Reorganize your closets and cupboards from top to bottom. Start by taking everything out of your closets and cupboards and wipe down the shelves and vacuum the floor.

Now is a good time to take stock of what food might have expired (or exploded)

and what clothing you no longer wear and can be donated. This is a good time to do the same with your refrigerator.

Spring cleaning takes a lot of work. You can’t be afraid to get on your hands and knees and get down to business. Don’t feel like you need to tackle everything in one day. Put your kids to work to earn extra spending money. Turn up your favorite radio station and clean to your favorite tunes. Spring cleaning is the perfect way to say good by to winter and usher in the warmer months. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 79

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